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A COMPENDIOUS 



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TOPOGRAPHICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL & ANECDOTICAL. 



Conlainin^ an Index to the flrat Twentj Yolames of tbe 

" SoBsex ArcbEeolc^cal CollectioDS." 



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LEWES:— GEO. P. BACON. 

LONDON:— JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, 36, SOHO SQUARE. 

BRIGHTON:— W. J. SMITH. 



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HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



JEVINGTON. 

A parisli in the Hundred of Willingdon ; Rape of Pevensey ; distant five 
miles south-west from Hailsham, and about the same distance from 
Eastbourne. Post-town, Eastbourne. Railway station, Polegate, 
distant about two miles. Union, Eastbourne. Population in 1811, 
280; in 1861, 263. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £400 ; Patron, the 
Duke of Devonshire ; Incumbent, Rev. H. T. Grace, M. A., of Pem- 
broke College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1661. 
Acreage, 2,099. 

This parish lies wholly on the South Downs, and the village, 
though in a valley, occupies a lofty site, the wells being almost 
200 feet deep. Its aspect is highly romantic, and the Downs 
are seen in perfection. Harewick or Harrick Bottom (perhaps 
from the Anglo-Saxon here and wic — ^the stronghold of an army) 
has conspicuous marks of an ancient camp. The manor has 
been successively in the families of St. Clere, Parker, and 
Spencer, Earl of WUmington. From the last-mentioned it has 
passed to the Duke of Devonshire. Jevington Rectory is also a 
manor. The manor-house has some marks of antiquity. Wan- 
nock was the seat of the family of Rochester, and at Filching 
there is a fine old timbered house. James Lambert, the well- 
known local artist, who so copiously illustrated the researches of 
Sir William Burrell, was bom at Jevington in 1725. (" Sussex 
Worthies," p. 39.) 

The church (St. Andrew) has a nave, with north aisle and 
chancel. A massive square tower at the west end has very 
ancient, and I think, pre-Norman, features. Affixed to the east 
fO wall of the tower, inside, is a very rude early carving, about twa 

o feet in height, representing our Saviour bruising the head of the 
serpent — probably Anglo-Saxon art. There are memorials for 
the names of Markwick, Eversfield, Rochester, Manningham, 
Collier, &c. One of the bells is inscribed to St. Katherine. 

[S. A. C. Manor-rents, xi7, 263. Filching stream, xv, 157. Bells, 
xvi, 215.] 

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10 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

England. Here is said to have been wrought the great balus- 
trade round St. Paul's, which cost more than £11,000, though 
Mayfield disputes this. There seem to have been chapels in 
this parish called respectively Passeley and La Leake. The 
former may have been in Ticehurst, 

[S. A. C. Iron-works, ii, 212. iii, 241. Scotneys of, viii, 153. xiii, 171. 
xvi, 272. Chapels, xiii, 47. Stannyndens of, xiii, 92. Grant of lands by 
Elizabeth, xiii, 110. An Ashburnham at Agincourt, xv, 125. River Tyse 
or Tees,xvi, 272. " Little Sussex " and Beaul-bourne, xvi, 272. London 
road to Rye, xix, 166.] 



LANCING. 

Domesday, Lancings ; a parish in the Hundred of Brightford ; Rape of 
Bramber ; distant two miles north-east from Worthing ; Post-town, 
Shoreham. It has a Railway station. Population in 1811, 519 ; in 
1861, 901. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £151 ; Patron, Bishop of 
London ; Incumbent, Rev. Frederick Fisher Watson, M. A., of Caius 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1580. Acreage, 
2,524. Chief Landowner, Lieut. -Colonel Carr Lloyd, Manor-house. 

Before the Conquest Lewin held Lancings of the Confessor ; 
subsequently Eobert held it of William de Braose, Lord of Bram- 
ber. Lewin was assessed at 16 hides and a roodland. Eobert, 
his Norman successor, had 12 hides and 1^ rood. The arable 
was five plough-lands. There were in the demesne 13 villeins 
and 7 bondmen. There was a mill, and also 7 salt-pans. Two 
Knights possessed, besides, 2^ hides and 11 salt-pans. Two 
Balphs are mentioned among the tenants, one of whom had five 
additional salt-pans. This proves that the manufacture of salt 
in this seaboard parish was formerly of considerable extent. 
The ante-Domesday rental was £9, and subsequently £7. The 
details of the survey of Lancings are particularly minute. About 
the end of the 13th century, Eanulf de Broc, and John de Gad- 
desden, held each two knights' fees in Lancing and the neigh- 
bourhood. The manors of South Lancing, North Lancing, 
Monks, and Lyons, originally very small, have long been united 
in the proprietorship of one lord. The manors of South Lan- 
cing and Lyons belonged to the great estate of Eobert le Sau- 
vage, and descended as Broadwater. Those of North Lancing, 
with Monks, after having been long in the possession of the 
families of Avenel and De Brok, came, perhaps by marriage, 
into that of Poynings. Temp. Henry VII. it was sold to Sir 
Eeginald Bray, who transferred it to George, Lord Abergavenny. 
Subsequently it was in the Goring family, and so descended to 
the Biddulphs, as Burton. These formerly distinct, but now 



LANCING. 1 1 

united manors, extend, according to Cartwright, from West 
sea-miQs gate, in Broadwater, to a place where the Adur (be- 
fore the new cut was made about 1760) debouched into the 'sea, 
and thence ascend the old course of the river in the middle of 
the stream beyond the bridge. There has long been a question 
of right oi foreshore between the lords of Lancing and their east- 
em neighbour. If the river is to be taken as the limit of the 
two lordships, the boundary must have changed many times, as 
there has been a constant tendency of the Adur, as of nearly all 
our Sussex rivers, towards the east, caused by the dashing of 
the Atlantic wave, driven by the south-west winds, up the 
English Channel. Even now, as I write, the question of the 
boundary of Lancing manor is mh lite. The Adur first and 
naturally debouched at Shoreham, but at subsequent periods, by 
the force of Caurus, it was driven eastward to different points 
almost as far as Brighton, and has frequently foimd its outlet far 
from the present one of Engston harbour, which is so fortified 
by human agency that it seems probable that it will remain 
there. Li the meantime, who has right to ^& foreshore to the 
south of this bend of the Adur ? Let lawyers decide by the law 
oirvrecca maris."* Li 1684, Sir William Goring embanked 600 
acres of land in this parish, by which he. made a valuable addi- 
tion to his land called the " Salts-farm.'' The manors of North 
and South Lancing were sold, in 1827, by John Biddulph, Esq., 
to James Martin Lloyd, Esq., and they now belong to Colonel 
George Carr Lloyd. There are two other manors of small ex- 
tent in the parish called Lancing and Grants ; the latter named 
after the family of Le Graunt, who possessed it in 1309. It 
afterwards (1567) passed to the Boords. It ultimately became 
the property of the Lloyds. There is, besides, a small manor 
on the nortJb side of the parish, called How in Domesday, and 
now How Court. At the date of Domesday William Fitz-Bar- 
nard held it of William de Warenne. It had been previously 
held by Earl Godwin at six hides. Six salt-pans are mentioned, 
showing that the manor extended either to the sea or the Adur, 
then, perhaps, an estuary. Before the Conquest it was valued 
at £4 ; afterwards at £6. This manor descended, by consan- 
guinity or purchase, through the families of De Combes, Hal- 
sham, Shirley, and Caryll, to that of Lloyd. The manor, ac- 
cording to Cartwright, pays tithe of com and hay of about 294 
acres to the rector of West Grinstead, and of about 45 to the 
vicar of Henfield. 

Mr Hussey thinks " it may be admitted a probable conjecture 
that this parish derives its name from Wlencingy one of the sons 
of iEJUa, the founder of the South Saxon kingdom." Considerable 

* This suit has just been decided against the lord of Lancing. 



12 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

foundations of buildings, a bath, coins, interments, &c., were 
discovered on Lancing Down in 1828, but were destroyed by an 
ignorant proprietor. The coins range from Claudius to Galli- 
enus, showing a long possession of the spot by the Romans, 
Full particulars of the discovery will be found in the scarce and 
extremely valuable " Collectanea Antiqua ^' of Mr. Charles Roach 
Smith, F.S.A., Vol. i, 92. 

The great tithes, with the exceptions just mentioned, were 
given by Sir Michael de Poynings to the Friary of Motinden, in 
the parish of Headcom in Kent. It is curious to note that the 
lands at this period (the time of Edward HI.) were valued at 
threepence per acre. The priest, however, received £23 6s. 8d. 
per annum. At the dissolution of the monasteries it was ex- 
changed for certain lands in the see of Lincoln. Afterwards it 
passed, by lease, through the family of Barttelot to that of Lloyd. 
Mention is made in the Nonse rolls (1341) of lands and a water- 
mill destroyed by the sea. 

The church (St. James) is composed of tower, chancel, nave, 
and north and south aisles. The porch on the south side, and 
the west door, are described by Cartwright as Early Norman. 
There are additions and insertions of much later styles. The 
tower stands between the nave and chancel, and seems to have 
been much loftier than at present. It appears that in 1618 the 
upper part of the tower was taken down, and the present pyra- 
midal cap added. In the chancel there is " an arch of the age 
of Edward III., under which was no doubt anciently an effigy.'* 
(Cartwright.) The following names are commemorated on monu- 
mental stones in this church ; Martin, Temple, Lloyd, Bartlett, 
Pyxe, Bury, Jones, Winton, Tanner, Hersee, Olliver, Nash, &c. 
In the parish register is the following curious entry : — " John 
Wolven, commonly called the honest man, buried June 13, 1691." 
In 1685 many persons died of an infectious distemper. It is 
singular that, from 1669 to 1673,the funerals at New Shoreham 
are registered here. 

In this parish, on a commanding height, stands an extensive 
building, called St. Nicholas' College, founded for the purpose 
of educating boys of the middle classes in what are called "high 
church" principles. The edifice is handsome and commodious, 
and was erected chiefly through the exertions of the Rev.N. Wood- 
ard, D.C.L., who is styled provost, not only of this school, but of 
similar establishments at Hurst-Pierpoint, Shoreham, Ardingly, 
and elsewhere. The Rev. R. E. Sanderson, M.A., assisted by 
several other clergymen, has charge of this important school. 

[S. A. 0. Domesday watermill, v, 271. Church, xii, 107. De Broc, 
XV, 15. Rents to Boxgrove, v. 119. Bells, xvi, 215. How Court, xix, 68. 
Shirleys of, xix, 68.] 



LAUGHTON. 13 

LANGNEY, vulgo Langley. 

Langney Point is an advanced tongue of shingle, situated 
about three miles south-west of Pevensey, at the extremity of 
Pevensey Bay. The fihingle, driven hither by heavy south-west 
tides, is at one point upwards of a mile across, and is patched here 
and there with fiirze. Near it is a large lagoon called Crumble 
Pond. Langney is locally in the parish of Westham. It is now 
a farm, and was anciently a grange belonging to the Priory of 
Lewes. The lands were granted, or confirmed, by divers bene- 
factors, William Malfield, his wife and two sons, Simon de Ech- 
ingham, Peter of Savoy, and King Henry HI. The De Eching- 
hams, however, reserved certain rights over the monks of Lewes, 
such as meat, drink, and lodgment for themselves, their horses, 
palfreys, grooms, and hunting-dogs during three days per annum, 
and the instruction of their servitor in the duties of a cook in 
the monks' kitchen. This claim was found burdensome by the 
brethren, and so in 1308, Sir WiUiam de Echingham accepted 
£100 by way of commutation. It is curious to note that a pow- 
erful Baron, for such he was, should seek the assistance of " ab- 
stemious monks " in his cuisine. The house at Langney, though 
much modernized, retains several vestiges of its former state, 
including a beautiful chapel, which was nearly entire when I 
visited the spot some years since. 



LAUGHTON. 



Domesday, Lestone ; a parish in the Hundred of Shiplake ; Bape of 
Pevensey; distant six miles north-east from Lewes, its Railway sta- 
tion ; Post-town, Hawkhurst ; Union, Hailsham. Population in 
1811, 612; in 1861, 742. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £256. 
Patron, the Earl of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles Dennis 
Charlton, M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1650. Acreage, 5,075. Chief Landowner , the 
Earl of Chichester, who possesses nearly the whole of the parish. 
Seat^ Laugh ton Lodge, Sir James Duke, Bart., formerly Lord Mayor 
of London. 

This is a parish of diversified soil and level, and of almost 
every variety of character, from a rich alluvial valley to wood- 
lands and uplands of comparatively small value. The freshwater 
shelly concretion, called Sussex marble, is found in the south 
part of the parish, and is locally known as Laughton marble. 
The tributary of the Ouse, named the Eitch, flows through 
Laughton Level. The manor of Laughton, one of the most 
extensive in this part of Sussex, includes the greater part of the 
hundred of Shiplake, and has sub-infeudations both within and 
beyond that boundary. In Saxon times Earl Godwin held it, 



14 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

and after the Conquest it passed with the rape to the Earl of 
Moreton. There were 16 salt-pans on the estuary of the Eitch. 
During the Edwardian period the manor belonged successively 
to the great families of Badlesmere, Spenser, and De Vere. The 
next lords were the Pelhams, who have held it in continuity for 
the last five centuries, and the Earl of Chichester still has from 
it his second title, Baron Pelham of Laughton. 

Laughton Place was the seat of the chivalrous Sir John Pel- 
ham, who, in 1356, at the battle of Poictiers, took prisoner 
John, King of Prance, and so won the far-famed Pelham badge 
of the Buckle^ which is still to be seen on many a church tower 
in East Sussex. The house, which is moated, was rebuilt in 
1534 by Sir William Pelham, and still presents some features of 
the fortalice of that date. It is built of brick, and contains 
some beautifully moulded ornaments, among which the Buckle 
is conspicuous. In the reign of Elizabeth the Pelhams re- 
moved their chief residence from this house to Halland, where 
they built a splendid mansion on the site of the seat of the 
Halle family. (See Ore.) This mansion was on the borders of 
Laughton and East Hothly, the boundary line of the parishes 
passing through the site. (See East Hothly.) 

The church is composed of chancel, nave, and west tower, in 
styles varying from Early English to Decorated. The chancel, 
which serves as a mausoleum for the Pelham family, was rebuilt 
by the Duke of Newcastle in the last century. The vaults 
beneath contain the mortal remains of a long line of that illus- 
trious race. In the spandrels of the doorway of the tower are 
the arms of Pelham and Colbrand, the latter family having 
formerly been owners of the estate called Colbrand's in this 
parish. There are inscriptions for the names of Pelham, Benge, 
Wenham, Courthope, &c. 

Chamber's Court, in this parish, was the original seat of the 
ancient family of De la Chambre, afterwards of Litlington, 
Eodmell, Denton, East Bourne, and Chyngton. It is now a 
small farmhouse only. 

[S. A. 0. King Edward I. visits, i, 138. Laughton Place, vii, 64. 
XV, 163. xvi, 292. xvii, 249. Pelham family, iv, 125. x, 211. xiv, 234. 
xvi, 292, 296. xvii, 249. Du^e of Newcastle, xi, 219. Shoosmith family, 
xii, 255. Land given by Queen Elizabeth, xiii, 48. Family of De la 
Chambre, xiii, 258. xiv, 213. Salt-pans, xiv, 211. Broomham, xiv, 213. 
Peckham, xiv, 221, 227. Ritch river, xv, 163. Bells, xvi, 215. Oratory at 
Laughton, xvii, 249. Jack Cade's adherents, xviii, 25. Parkof, xix, 173.] 



EAST LAV ANT. 



A Parish in the Hundred of Aldwick, Rape of Chichester ; distant 2^ 
miles north-west from Chichester, its Post-town and Railway station. 



EAST LAVANT. 15 

TTnion, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 848; in 1861, with 
West Lavant, 421. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £410 ; Patron, 
Lord Willoughby de Broke ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Legge, M.A., 
of Christ Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1653. 
Acreage, 2,884. Chief Landowner^ the Duke of Richmond. 

Like the other two villages bearing this name, it derives 
its designation from the little river Lavant, which finds its outlet 
at Chichester Harbour. West Lavant, a tything belonging to 
this parish, is separated from it by Mid Lavant, which inter- 
venes. The Domesday manor of Loventune, or Levitone, by 
which this place is supposed to be meant, was held, in the time 
of the Confessor, by Godwin, a priest, and afterwards by 
Osborne, Bishop of Exeter. It was assessed at six hides, and was 
appropriated to the church of Bosham. It was afterwards trans- 
ferred to the see of Canterbury, and subsequently came to the 
Crown. In 1560 Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir Eichard 
Baker, and in 1775 it was sold to Charles, third Duke of 
Richmond. 

The church (St. Mary) has Norman features, and consists of 
an ancient nave, with a chancel of much later date. The floor, 
says Horsfield, has slabs of Sussex marble, ornamented with 
crosses, one of which bears, in Lombardic characters, the legend 
" Priez qui passez par ici, pur Talme Luci de MUdebi." " All 
you that pass by, pray for the soul of* Lucy de Mildebi." There 
are other inscriptions to the names of Cawse, Stockton, Hen- 
shaw, Heberden, and Compton. 

[8. A. C. (Including Mid-Lavant.) May of Rawmere, v, 47. xix, 95. 
Roman road, x, 169. Church, xii, 74. xix, 169. Mid-Lavant Church, xii, 
75. xix, 169. Bells, xvi, 216. River Lavant, xvi, 261. Henshawe, Bishop 
of Peterborough, xix, 92, Rawmere, v,47. xix, 95, 167. London Road 
to Chichester, xix, 167. Oxford Road, xix, 169. Lavant, West, and Crow- 
shall House of the Millers, Barts., xix, 169.] 



MID-LAVANT. 



A parish in the Hundred of Westboume ; Rape of Chichester ; distant 
two miles north-west from Chichester, its Post-town and Railway 
station. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 215; in 
1861, 257. Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £50 ; Patron, 
the Duke of Richmond ; Incumbent, Rev. Walter Hook, B. A. Date 
of earliest Parish Register, 1567. Acreage, 350. Chief Landowner, 
the Duke of Richmond. 

The little river Lavant, which flows into Chichester Har- 
bour, gives name to three villages on its banks, called respec- 
tively East, Mid, and West Lavant. In Domesday Loventune is 



16 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

mentioned, bnt to which, or whether to all the three places the 
record refers is uncertain. It is placed in the hundred of Sille- 
tone (Singleton). Before the Conquest it belonged to Earl God- 
win ; afterwards Ivo held it of Eoger, Earl of Montgomeri. It 
consisted of nine hides. In 1581 Bichard May of Rawmere 
held the manor of Mid-Lavant, and it continued in his family 
almost two centuries. Thomas May Kiiight, Esq., sold it to 
Charles, third Duke of Richmond. The large mansion com- 
menced by Richard May towards the end of the reign of Eliza- 
beth, and finished by his son, temp. James I., was taken down 
by the Duke of Richmond many years since. 

The church (St. Nicholas) was originally very small. The 
only ancient windows remaining are two lancets in the chancel, 
and a very small round-headed one in the nave.. (Hussey.) Some 
mural paintings were discovered here about the year 1849. The 
modem church, consisting of nave and chancel, was erected by 
the family of May in the former part of the eighteenth century. 
There is a marble effigy of life size, of Dame Mary May, who 
died in 1681. 

f S. A. C, See under East Lavant.] 



LEOMINSTER. (See Lyminster.) 



LEWES. 

Domesday, Lewes; a borough and market-town, and, for civil purposes, 
the County-town of Sussex. It is distant 50 miles south from 
London, and the meridian of Greenwich passes through its western 
extremity. It gives name to a Rape, an Archdeaconry, and a 
Union. It has a Post-office, and a station of the South Coast Rail- 
way, from which several lines radiate. Its population in 1811 was 
6,664, and in 1861, 10,116. Including the suburbs of Southover, 
Cliffe, and, South Mailing, it contains seven parishes, and for con- 
venience, these will be dealt with collectively. 

Except Brighton it is the largest town on the South Down 
range. Lewes proper rises rather abruptly from the Ouse, its 
navigable river, upon a spur of the Dovms, by one long 
thoroughfare called High Street, running in the direction of 
Brighton, and nearly a mile in length : the lateral streets are 
generally small and unimportant. The suburb called the Cliffe 
lies on the east side of the Ouse, in the Eape of Pevensey. 
South Mailing is also in Pevensey Eape, and is a continuation 
of the Cliffe in two streets.. Southover, as its first syllable im- 
plies, occupies a position south and south-west of the town. 



LEWES. 17 

Newhaven, six miles southward, is ' the port of Lewes, and, 
together mth the railway, greatly assists the commerce of the 
town. For picturesqueness of situation few places can compare 
with Lewes. The keep of its Castle rises with much grandeur 
as the central object, a kind of Acropolis, and forms a noble 
object from every point of view. There is much irregular natural 
beauty everywhere, and to add to its attractions the late William 
.Cobbett pronounced it to be " the town of clean windows and 
pretty faces ! ** The etymology of the name is very uncertain, 
and much truly ridiculous conjecture has been spent upon it, 
(See Dr. Chamock^s " Local Etymology.") The town and its 
name are both unquestionably Celtic in origin, and the second 
syllable, es, doubtless means water, in allusion to the situation 
on what was once a considerable estuary of the English Channel. 

Of the early history of the town little can be ascertained. 
Boman urns, coins, &c., have frequently been discovered, and 
Lewes has been supposed to be identical with the obscure station 
known as Mutuantcmis. Earlier remains of the pre-historic period 
have also frequently been exhumed from the neighbouring downs. 
In Saxon times Lewes became more important, and previously 
to the reign of Athelstan had two mints which continued to issue 
a silver coinage down to the days of Harold. Specimens of 
Lewes pennies were discovered both in the " Alfriston find " and 
in the more remarkable one at Washington, in 1866. So early 
as the days of the Heptarchy, Mailing had become a seat of 
Christianity, Ceadwalla, king of Wessex and Sussex having there 
founded a college, which he gave to the church of Canterbury. 
At the Conquest King William I. gave to William de Warenne, 
the husband of his daughter Gundrada, together with enormous 
possessions in Surrey, Yorkshire, Norfolk, &c., the town and 
rape of Lewes, that is to say a sixth part of the whole county. 
The account of the town in Domesday is very curious. Edward 
the Confessor had 127 burgesses in domain, who paid him in 
rent and toll, £6 13s. l^d., and 20s. as a subsidy, when he sent 
an armament to guard the seas. The purchaser of a man paid 
4d. toll ; a murderer could expiate lus crime for 7s. 4d., an 
adulterer and a runaway singularly enough paid more, viz., 
8s. 4d. each. The population is supposed at this period to have 
been less than 1900 persons. ■ 

William de Warenne, having made Lewes his chief residence 
and caput haronice^ erected a magnificent Castle, probably on the 
site of an olderfortress. In conjunction with his illustrious consort 
he also founded the great Priory of St. Pancras, in Southover. 
Their successors, the Earls of Warenne and Surrey, played an 
active part in field and council. John, seventh Earl, took part 
with Henry III., but deserted him in the hour of danger. When 

VOL, II. c 



18 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Edward I, issned his commission to ascertain by what right the 
great feudal lords held their lands, the Earl drew a rusty old 
sword, exclaiming : " By this weapon did my ancestor win his 
lands, at Hastings, and with the same I will defend them ! " 
His grandson of the same name, eighth and last Lord of Lewes, 
of his name, died in 1347, when the Barony devolved upon his 
sister Alice, wife of Edmund Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel, in 
whose heirs general, the Earls of Abergavenny and De la Warr, 
and the Duke of Norfolk, the barony now jointly vests. From 
the early part of the fifteenth century the lords were non-resi- 
dent, and Lewes lost its feudal importance. 

In 1205, 1209, and 1213, King John paid hurried visits to the 
town, and in 1264 occurred on the Downs, close by, the memor- 
able Battle of Lewes. The confederated Barons having taken 
arms under Simon de Montfort, the two hostile armies met 
in deadly strife on the 14th of May. Henry III. had lodged 
himself on the previous night at the Priory, while Prince 
Edward had made the Castle his head quarters. Simon de 
Montfort and his troops made a hasty march from London 
towards Lewes, and the battle took place to the north- 
westward of the town, the fiiry of the warfare having ranged, 
according to tradition, from Mount Harry (so named from the 
King ?) to the Castle itself, and even beyond, into the marshy 
estuary of the Ouse. The result of this battle is well known. 
The Baronial party were victorious. Henry and Prince Edward 
were fain to take refuge at the Priory. Richard, titular King 
of the Romans, and brother of the King, was captured in a 
windmill near the site of the Black Horse Inn ; and after the 
slaughter of thousands of men on each side, a mise or treaty 
was entered into between the belligerents, which eventually 
resulted in the establishment of a representative government, 
and it is not too much to .assert that the "great Battle of the 
Constitution^' was fought on Lewes hills. Such numerous 
details of the battle, its causes, and consequences, have been 
given in Mr. Blaauw's researchful work, " The Baron's War," 
§iat we have no need to enlarge on this grand historical event. 

King Edward I. was several times at Lewes, between the years 
1276 and 1305. In 1377 the French having made a hostile 
descent upon our coast at Rottingdean, John de Cariloco, Prior 
of St. Pancras, with some neighbouring gentlemen and a body 
of rustics, met them on the Downs between the two points. 
Though the little Lewes army succeeded in driving the enemy 
to their ships, the prior and two attendant knights were carried 
off as prisoners. At this period Lewes was a well-fortified town, 
and traces of the wall still remain. It had a prison and a 
market, a merchant-guild, and a staple of wool. It also con- 



LEWES. 1 9 

tained three conventual establishments and fourteen parish 
churches, besides chapels and hospitals. Nothing of interest is 
recorded for several generations, but in 1637 the Priory was 
dissolved, and what had been the main stay of the repute and 
prosperity of the town disappeared. In 1545 the French again 
invaded Sussex, but a Lewes knight. Sir Nicholas Pelham, an- 
cestor of the Earl of Chichester, repulsed them valiantly. In 
the reign of Queen Mary, Lewes, as the county town, was the 
scene of many of those holocausts which disgraced her times. 
Sixteen martyrs to the cause of the Reformation were burnt in 
the forum of Lewes — ^the local Smithfield, opposite the Star 
inn — between 1555 and 1557, the last '^burnt-offering to a 
good conscience '' being the weU-known iron-master, Eichard 
Woodman, and nine others, five of whom were women. At a 
later period most of the county gentry had town houses in 
Lewes, and a great portion of the High Street was occupied 
with these residences, many of which, with spacious gardens, 
remain. Daniel de Foe, in his " Tour," 1724, and Dr. Burton in 
his '^ Iter Sussexiense," some years later, give graphic accounts 
of the town. In the course of the French war, Lewes became 
a considerable military station, and extensive barracks were 
built at the western extremity of the town. During the gay career 
of the Prince Regent (George IV.) that personage annually 
visited Lewes for three days for the races. In 1830 King William 
and Queen Adelaide had a loyal reception ; and Queen Victoria 
has also passed through the town en route for Buxted Park, the 
residence of her Lord Chamberlain, the late Earl of Liverpool. 

Lewes Castle, as we have seen, was built by De Warenne soon 

after the Conquest. Its existing remains are the Keep, which 

occupies a conmianding artificial mound, and dominates the 

town in a manner truly feudal ; some walls of the enciente ; and 

the Barbican or advanced work, a picturesque gateway of the 

fourteenth century, covering the simple Norman semi-circular 

perforation of the wall, which was the original gate. This once 

frowning stronghold included a base court more than 800 feet 

in its longest diameter, and had, besides the Keep proper, 

another elevation called the Brackmount, on which formerly 

stood a kind of second keep, or a strong tower. The precinct 

now contains two or three private residences, and an excellent 

bowling-green. In 1850 the Sussex Archaeological Society hired 

the Castle of the Lords of the Borough, which they still occupy 

— the keep as a museum of local antiquities, and the barbican 

as a council-chamber. The leads of the keep command a noble 

and picturesque view, embracing the Weald, the site of the 

Battle, the port of Newhaven, and that remarkable geological 

" fault,'' the Combe, in the range called Cliff HiQ. 

c 2 



20 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

The Priory, which Ues in a meadow in the suburban parish 
of Soiithover, was founded, as before stated, by William de 
Warenne and Gundrada, about the year 1078,- and dedicated 
to St. Pancras, the mari;yr, to whose honour a small wooden 
church had existed on the spot before the Conquest. It was 
of the Cluniac order, a branch of the Benedictines, and the 
first house of that denomination in England. Its endow- 
ments were enormous, and its prior being mitred, subse- 
quently became a peer of the realm. The first prior was 
Lanzo, a man of great piety and learning, and there were 
few monasteries in this country which enjoyed so wide a 
reputation. Among those who added to its endowments 
and found sepulture in its church were the De Warennes, 
Clares, De Veres, St. Johns, Fitz-Alans, De Lancasters, and 
Nevilles. The vicissitudes of this great Priory have been set 
forth in several notices by Mr. Blaauw in " Sussex Archaeological 
Collections." At the dissolution of the religious houses by 
Henry Vlll., in 1537, the revenues were estimated at £1,091 
9s. 6d., equal to at least £10,000 at the present day. The Vicar 
General, Cromwell, immediately ordered the work of demolition 
to commence, and one Portinari, an Italian, speedily performed 
the execrable deed of levelling with the ground, the great church, 
equal in extent to most cathedrals, the chapter-house, cloisters, 
&c., so that to-day we see in a few rude and unintelligible walls 
all that remains of this once enormous group of buildings, 
which occupied with its adjunct of " Calvary," garden, pigeon- 
house, and stews for fish, a splendid area of forty acres. Crom- 
well himself got a grant of the Priory and all its possessions, 
and after that favourite's deposition they were granted by Henry 
to his repudiated queen, Anne of Cleves. Tradition assigns as 
her residence the old porched house of the Pelhams, in the 
High Street of Southover ; but there is no proof : indeed poor 
Anne seems to have had as many residences and places of death 
as Oliver Cromwell had skulls. At a later date Thomas Sack- 
ville, the Elizabethan poet and statesman, had a house on the 
site of the Priory, called the Lord's place, which was burnt 
down. The manor of Southover subsequently passed to the 
families of Tufton, Trayton, Durrant, and Verrall, William 
Verrall, Esq., being the existing lord. The portion of the priory 
demesne which contains the ruins belongs to Mrs. John Blaker. 
A short distance to the north-east of the ruins is a remarkable 
mound with a spiral pathway, obviously the ancient Calvary of 
the monastery. The earth of which it is constructed was evi- 
dently taken from an adjacent depressed spot, called from its 
shape the Dripping-pan, and now devoted to cricket matches 
and other public amusements. 



LEWES. 21 

During fhe progress of the excavations necessary for the for- 
mation of the South-Coast Railway, which passes through the 
Priory grounds, occurred, in 1845, one of the most remarkable 
archaeological discoveries of our times. This was no less than 
two small leaden coffers, less than three feet in length, contain- 
ing respectively the bones of Willelm' (de Warenne) and Gun- 
DBADA, the founder and foundress of the Priory, who had died 
before the completion of the great church, and been buried in 
the ordinary manner. On the completion of that edifice their 
bones were doubtless exhumed and removed to the more hononr- 
able place of sepulture. The names of both these illustrious 
personages were inscribed on the lids of the coffers, which are 
preserved in Southover church. Many other objects of anti- 
quarian interest were brought to light at the same time. 

The other monastic institutions of Lewes were : — (1.) Mailing 
Deanery, previously mentioned as having been founded in Saxon 
times, which was dissolved by Henry VIII., in 1545. It was 
originally built at Old Mailing, and afterwards removed to 
South Mailing, in the same parish. The assassins of Thomas k 
Becket took shelter here in their flight on the second night after 
the murder at Canterbury, and the notable miracle of the table 
in the great hall having tilted itself to throw off the blood- 
stained armour of the knights is known to the readers of Stan- 
ley's Memorials of Canterbury. (2.) The house of Grey Friars 
without the east gate of the town. Of its foundation nothing 
is known, and it possesses little history, except that two of the 
brethren mediated between Henry III. and the Barons in 1264. 
After the Dissolution it became a private residence, and was 
pulled down to make room for the railway station in 1845. 
(3.) The hospital of St. James, near the gate of the Priory, for 
thirteen poor brethren and sisters, whose duty was to pray for the 
founders and their heirs. The chapel, now much patched, is still 
standing. (4.) A miserable old thatched cottage in St. Anne's, 
called the Spital, represents the Hospital of St. Nicholas, a place 
of rest and entertainment for pilgrims to St. Pancras^ Priory. 

A brief topographical account of Lewes follows. Southover 
Churchy dedicated to St. John the Baptist, stands in the southern 
suburb of the town. It is in various styles, from Early Norman 
to the non-descript of the 18th century — the brick tower being 
of the last-mentioned period. It stands just outside the ancient 
gateway of the Priory, and contains a very elegant sacellum, 
erected in 1867, in which are preserved the remains of the founder 
and foundress, previously mentioned. This church formerly had 
chapels dedicated to SS. Katherine and Erasmus, which have 
disappeared. There are many inscriptions to the Newton, 
Verrall, and other families. Near it is a curious and picturesque 



22 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

old Elizabethan mansion, which was bmlt with part of the 
materials of the Priory, by WiUiam Newton, Esq., steward of 
Lord Buckhurst, Earl of Dorset. It has quaint gables and win- 
dow frames. The date on the mantel-piece of the dining-room 
shows the year of its erection to be 1572. It was the residence 
of the Newton family, nntil within the last few years ; but now 
belongs to Captain Wyndham. In the time of the late Colonel 
Newton, George IV., when Prince-Regent, was a frequent visitor 
here. 

Leaving the west end of Southover at the point where the road 
to Newhaven and Seaford commences, and passing along Win- 
terboume Lane (so-called from a pellucid stream which runs 
only during the winter season), we reach the Spital, or hospital 
of St. Nicholas, just mentioned. Close to this is the large county 
gaol. Descending towards the town we see the church of St. 
Anne, anciently St. Mary Westout. Outside the western walls 
of Lewes there formerly stood two churches, St. Peter and St. 
Mary. The houses of the former parish principally contained 
in what was called Antioch Street (possibly a reminiscence of 
the Crusades), were burnt down in tibe 16th century, and the two 
parishes were united under the name of St. Anne. The church 
thus designated is an Early English structure, and contains 
some interesting features, especially a barrel-shaped font with 
fretwork ornaments, probably of Saxon date. Near the church 
is " Shelley's," so-called from its haviug long been the seat of a 
branch of that eminent Sussex family. Dr. Johnson, on a visit 
to the Thrales at Brighton, once spent a day at this mansion, 
and a hitherto unrecorded anecdote may here be given. The 
philosopher was walking in the garden with a little Miss Shelley, 
two or three years old, in his hand, until at last, being tired of 
her companionship, he deliberately placed her between the 
branches of a cherir-tree, and there leffc her. At dinner time 
there was a hue and cry after the child, and Johnson, recollect- 
ing himself, said, " O, I left her in a tree !*' The tree survived 
this incident untU within recent years, and was always known 
as " Dr. Johnson's cherry-tree." Near this house is the gram- 
mar-school, founded about 1612, by Dame Agnes Morley ; and, 
still further down the street, there stood till lately a building 
called St. Anne's House, long the pleasant abode of the writer 
of these pages, but now replaced by a modem structure of the 
metropolitan cut. That house had many historical remem- 
brances, it having been the abode, in the time of James L, of 
John Eowe, principal of Clifford's Inn, a great lawyer and an 
eminent local antiquary ; and subsequently, the property of Sir 
Roger Newdigate, founder of the Newdigate prize for English 
poetry at Oxford. The town was formerly fortified with walls. 



LEWES. 23 

the West-gate ofwhicli we next approach; the others being the 
East-gate and the Water-gate ; but the traces of all are now very 
slight. St. MichaeVs Churchy hard by, has a few ancient features, 
but it was chiefly rebuilt in the worst taste of the 18th century. 
Its round tower, however, remains, as well as two brasses ; 
one for a knight of the 15th century, and another for Jfof)^0 
iStagliforte, rector, with the date 1467. There is also a mural 
monument to Sir Nicholas Pelham, the gallant defender of Sea- 
ford, who died in 1559. The epitaph assures us that : — 

*' What time the French sought to have sack't Sea-Foord, 
This Pelha/m did T^pel *em back aboord!" 

In this parish are two other places deserving of notice ; first, 
the old " town house " of the Goring family, long since con- 
verted into a Presbyterian chapel, and an ancient dwelling re- 
cognised by a singular carving of Pan at one comer, but more 
noteworthy as the residence for some time of Tom Paine, the 
atheistical vrriter of the "Age of Reason," who was then a local 
exciseman. He wrote that execrable book in this house, and 
the table on which he wrote it was, about fifty years since, in 
the possession of the late William Lee of this town. In this 
parish also resided the late Dr. Gideon Mantell, the celebrated 
geologist, who collected the " Mantellian Museum," of Sussex 
fossils, &c., now in the British Museum. A little lower in the 
street is the County-hall, for courts of assize and other public 
business; a building with a handsome fagade. The original 
town-hall stood, before the erection of this edifice, in the 
middle of the High-street. Next come two ancient inns, the 
White Hart (modernized) and the Star. The latter has some 
historical celebrity, for in front of it the Protestants were 
burnt during the Marian persecution. In this inn is a very- 
fine Jacobean staircase brought hither from Slaugham Place 
in the last century. In the market-tower, close at hand, is the 
great town bell called Gabriel, of the time of Henry VIII. 
From this point we pass down School-hill, a steep declivity, to- 
wards the site of the ancient monastery of the Grey Friars, of 
which no remains exist, the ground being partly occupied by a 
very handsome building called the FitzRoy. Memorial Library. 
This edifice, which cost nearly £5,000, was presented by the 
widow of the late Right Hon. Henry Fitzroy (M.P. for Lewes 
for more than twenty years), to the town, and it contains a 
valuable collection of books, a school of art, &c. Close by is 
the bridge over the Ouse, and the suburb called the Cliffe is next 
entered. It has a church dedicated to St. Thomas d Beckett for- 
merly a chapel dependent on South Mailing. This building, 
though principally of the Perpendicular period, with some 



24 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

modem church wardenizations, contains traces of much earlier 
architecture. In the south aisle there was formerly a guild or 
fraternity of St. Thomas. Passing a sharp angle on Qie left, 
we proceed towards Mailing, leaving on the right that remark- 
able chasm in the chalk formation called the " Coombe." Near 
at hand is " Jireh,'* one of the largest dissenting chapels in the 
county, in the little cemetery of which lie the remains of the 
well-known William Huntington, the Hyper-Calvinist, with the 
curious epitaph : " Here lies the Coalheaver, beloved of his God, 
but abhorred of men. The omniscient Judge, at the grand 
assize, shall ratify this to the confusion of many thousands, for 
England and its metropolis shaU know that there hath been a 
prophet among them. — ^W. H., S.S." This was composed by 
the deceased himself, an arrogant but clever man, who having 
married the widow of a Lord Mayor, and looking, with a touch 
of envy perhaps, at the D.D.'s of the period, gave himself the 
title of " Sinner Saved " (S.S.). Mailing Church is a simple 
fabric, consisting of a nave only, and stands at a considerable 
distance from the population. It was erected in 1628, under the 
will of John Stansfield, Esq., who endowed it as a perpetual 
curacy, and one of the foundation stones was laid by his after- 
wards eminent grandson, John Evelyn, author of " Sylva," &c., 
who records that circumstance in his "Diary.'' There are 
memorials to the names of Kempe, Spence, Grantham, Court- 
hope, Cayley, Brodie, &c. ; but the most striking inscrip- 
tion is that which records the death, in December, 1836, of 
eight persons who were killed in South Street, in this parish, by 
a very remarkable avalanche. A vast mass of drifted snow 
slipped from its position, on the crest of Cliffe-hill, overturned 
a range of cottages, and destroyed these poor people. Mailing 
was one of the oldest seats of Christianity in the county, and I 
have already noticed it in this article. Few remains of it now 
exist, and, at some unknown date, the College was removed lower 
down the banks of the Ouse to what is called South Mailing, 
near the present church, to the site of the mansion now pos- 
sessed by E. C. Currey, Esq., where it remained untU the Re- 
formation. This house is still called Mailing " Deanery," and 
was long the seat of the ancient family of Spence. Mailing 
House belongs to the family of Crofts, the representative of 
which is Henry Crofts, Esq., of Sompting Abbots. Returning 
once more to Lewes proper, we must notice St. John^s Churchy a 
modem brick structure, which we cannot commend, as it is a 
kind of hybrid between a castle and a bam. It supersedes a 
very venerable structure, probably of the time of the Confessor, 
which was pulled down in 1838 to meet the necessities of an 
increased population. Some relics of the old edifice have been 



LEWES. 25 

preserved and built into the walls of the new, including the 
mouldings of a Saxon doorway, and especially an ancient monu- 
ment arranged in the form of an arch, with the following in- 
scription cut on fifteen stones in two semi-circular lines : — 

" Clauditur hio Miles, Danorum regia proles ; 

MaNGNUS NOMEN EI, MANGN-E NOTA PROGENEI : 
DbPONENS MaNGNUM, SB MORIBUS INDUIT AGKUM, 

Prepetb pro^vita, fit parvulus arnaoorita." 

" Here is immured a Soldier of the Royal Family of Denmark, whose 
name Magnvs * bespeaks his distinguished lineage. Relinquishing his 
greatness, he assumes the deportment of a lamb, and exchanges a life of 
ambition for that of a lowly anchorite." 

» 

Of the history of this person and his connection with the 
Kings of Denmark nothing can be discovered. He appears to 
have been one of those fanatics who caused themselves to be 
shut up within the walls of churches in what were called 
incltcsoria, and making a vow of silence for life. The inscription 
has been regarded as a mortuary epitaph, but it is not so, as the 
Eev. E. Turner in an able article, mentioned below, sufficiently 
proves. The tradition that he was a Danish marauder slain at 
the Wallands, hard by, in a conflict with the English, is totally 
unfounded, as the inscription is of the thirteenth century. 

The church-yard of St. John occupies part of a very small 
camp considered to be Boman, part of the vallum of which is 
traceable. There are memorials to the names of Shore, Le Pla, 
Campion, Crofts, &c., and one to Thomas Blunt, an eminent 
barber of Lewes, who made several donations to the borough, 
including a silver-gilt loving-cup, still used on festive occasions. 
The inscription on his tomb is in Latin, and records his various 
bequests. The last couplet is to this effect : — 

" These gifts he gave, this done, himself to death is given ; 
These gifts he gave, and thus received the gifts of heaven I*' 

All Saints* Church is also a plain, inelegant building, erected 
in 1807, with the exception of the tower, which is in the Per- 
pendicidar style. There are memorials for the names of Trayton, 
Durrant, Isted, Blunt, WooUgar, and for John Stansfield, Gent., 
the founder of Mailing church. There are traces of many 
churches now destroyed. Near the top of School-hill stood St. 
Nicholas, or the " broken church," the remembrance of which 
is retained in the name of St. Nicholas {vulgo Dolphin) lane. St. 
Mary's-lane, vulgo " Simmery-lane," was named after a now des- 
troyed church, some remains of which are supposed to exist in 
the cellar of the house of Mr. Richards, nearly opposite the Star 

* Misspelt Mangnus. 



26 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

hotel. In what is called Campion's lane stood the church of St. 
Andrew ; and near the office of the " Sussex Advertiser " was 
another church dedicated to St. Mary in Foro, as the market 
was in early times held near that spot. A few yards distant, St. 
Martin's-lane indicates a church under the invocation of that 
famous military saint, who shared his cloak with a poor frozen 
beggar. These churches all stood on the south side of the High- 
street. St. Swithin's-lane also probably indicates the existence 
of a church dedicated to that saint. Lewes abounds with dis- 
senting chapels of nearly every denomination, and possesses a 
Roman Catholic chapel, lately erected. 

The town was for a long time in a stationary position, and the 
population did not increase ; but of late an impetus has been 
given to the building trade. Some excellent houses have sprung 
up, and it is believed that in a few years Lewes will be second 
to few towns near the South Coast, especially should Mr. W. E. 
Baxter's project for a new suburb, " Wallands Park," be carried 
out. The natural and artificial advantages of the town are very 
great indeed. 

Among the eminent residents or natives of Lewes must be 
reckoned Sir Thomas Browne, author of *^ Eeligio Medici; '* 
Richard Challenor, D.D., the celebrated Roman Catholic bishop 
and theologian, bom 1691; Paul Dunvan, author of a "History of 
Lewes and Brighthelmstone" (1795) ; JohnEUiot, the antiquary, 
bom 1725 ; John Evelyn, author of" Sylva," &c.; the Rev. T. W. 
Horsfield, the historian of Sussex, who died in 1837 ; Dr. Gideon 
ManteU, F.R.S., the renowned geologist ; Richard Russell, M.D., 
the founder of Brighton, born 1687 ; John Tabor, M.D., the 
eminent physician and antiquary ; Thomas Twyne, M.D., the 
great physician and classical scholar, who lies buried in St. 
Anne's church, with a very quaint inscription, dated 1613 ; James 
Lambert, a local self-taught artist of the last century, whose 
drawings of Sussex antiquities are in the BurreU Collections in 
the British Museum ; John Dudeney, the philosophical shepherd 
and schoolmaster (ob. 1852) ; John Rowe, lawyer and antiquary 
(see ante). Edmund Dudley, the well-known minister of Henry 
VII., and the co-extortioner of Richard Empson, was the son of 
a travelling carpenter who settled at Lewes Priory, and there 
Edmund is said to have received his education. 

The following is a list of the Benefices of Lewes : — 

All Saints J Rectory. — Patron, C. Goring, Esq. ; held by the Rev. Robt. 

Strafifen, M.A. ; value, £206. Population in 1861, 2,092. 
St, Anne, — Patron, the Lord Chancellor ; £190 ; Rector, Rev. Augustus 

J. Parsons, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Population, 980. 
Southover, St. John the Baptist. — The same Patron and Incumbent ; 

value, £97. Population, 1,344. 
St, John-sub- Castro, — Patron, Rev. C. D, Crofts, M.A. ; Rector, Rev. 



LEWES. 27 

Arthur Peafson Perfect, M.A.; value, £250. Population, 2,308. 
This parish has a considerable rural district, extending widely, and 
partly detached from the town. Within its limits lie Landport, a large 
farm, and Allington, where there was formerly a moated manor-house 
and a chapel. The intersecting parish is Hamsey. 

St, Michael. — Patron, the Lord Chancellor ; Rector, the Rev. Frederick 
Woolley, B.C.L. ; value, £116. Population, 1,076. 

St Thomas at Cltffe, — A peculiar ; Patron, the Archbishop ; Rector, the 
Rev. J. C. Russell, M. A., of St. Peter's College, Cambridge ; value, 
£130. Population, 1,568. 

South Mailing. — A Peculiar; Patron, G. C. Courthope, Esq. ; Perpetual 
Curate or Vicar, Rev. John Warburton; value, £117. Population, 
716. In this parish is the qtuisih&wlei of Stoneham, formerly attached 
to the Deanery of Mailing. It was anciently a Beadlewick, and now 
principally consists of two good farms. The acreage is 2,680. 

The JPrecinct of the Castle (extra parochial), contains a population of 32. 

[S. A. C. In consequence of the great antiquity and historical interest 
of Lewes, the number of references to that place in the " Sussex Archae- 
ological Collections'* is necessarily large, and the paper by the late Mr. 
W. Figg, F.S. A., should be especially referred to. — Relics found at,i, 43. 
Priory, and its seals, ii, 7. Battle of, ii, 28. v, 274. xix, 164. Dudeney, 
John, ii, 252. Priory, iii, 185, 230. vi, 253. vii, 217. xviii, 58. xx, 141, 
187. South Mailing College, v, 127 (Turner). Seal, viii, 270. Arch- 
deaconry seal, v, 199. British uru, t6t(i. Mailing watermills, Domesday, v, 
271. King John's visit, ii, 133. King Henry III., ii, 137. King Edward 
I., 138. Lantern in Priory (Figg). Dr. Burton's description of the town 
" Iter Sussex." Kidder family, ix, 128. Newton family (Noyes), ix, 312. 
xvi, 49. xvii, 258. Royal mint, ix, 369. xix, 164, 189. xx, 214 (Lucas). 
Star Hotel. Slaugham staircase, drawn by N. H. Lower, x, 163. Medieval 
pottery, X, 193. xviii, 190. The Castle a Prison? x, 213. Goring family, 
xi, 64. Woughton, Tortington Priory, had lands at (possibly Offham, in 
Hamsey), xi, 110. Magnus, or iifanynws, Prince and Hermit, at St. John's, 
and Hermitess of St. Mary, xii, 132, 134. Memorials of Old Lewes, xiii, 
1 (Figg). Lord Goring's residence, xiii, 13. xix, 100. Lewes Priory, 
license to fortify, xiii, 112. Southover, Heneage family Prayer-book, xiii, 
315. Newdigates and Bromfields, xiv, 229. Dr. Russell, the founder of 
Brighton, xiv, 266. Old Mailing, earliest seat of Christianity in East 
Sussex, XV, 163. Burdett, of Southover, xx, ^^. Sufferings of Lewes 
Quakers (Figg), xvi, 65. Rickman family, xvi, 72. Church bells, xvi, 
205, 216. Rowe, John, xx, 85. Southover Free-school, xvii, 79. Colonel 
H. Morley, M.P., ironmaster, xviii, 14. Complicity of the Prior, con- 
stables, and people of Lewes and Southover, with Jack Cade, and their 
pardons, xviii, 25, et »eq. Prior of, xviii, 44. Museum of Antiquities in 
the Castle (Lower and Chapman), xviii, 60. De Braose effigy at South- 
over, xviii, 62. Shirley family, xviii, 133. Castle, xviii, 176. Thomas 
Lucas, merchant, 1634, xviii, 176. Cliffe old Vicarage, xviii, 195. Giles, 
bell- founder, xix, 43. Whitfeld family, xix, 90 (Lower). Fitzherbert 
family, xix, 179. The " Friars," xix, 179. Stempe family, and Springett 
family, xx, 35. Heath family, xx, 62. Banns published in Market, xx, 83. 
Rev. R. Cecil, anecdote, xx, 133. Lewes Races, xx, 227.] 



28 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

LINCH (or Lynch). 

Domesday, Lince; a parish in the Hundred of Easebourne ; Rape of Chi- 
chester ; distant five miles north-west from Midhurst, its Post-town, 
Union, and Railway- station. Population in 1811, 84 ; in 1861, 111. 
Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £80 ; Patron, the Earl of Egmont ; 
Incumbent, Rev. R. Cooke Bull, M.A., of Emmanuel College, Cam- 
bridge. Dateof earliest Parish Register, 1701. Acreage, 1,220. Chief 
Landowner^ The Earl of Egmont. Seat, HoUycombe, B. F. Pratt, Esq. 

This parish is composed of " disjecta membra," of which 
about 700 acres lie at the northern foot of the South Downs 
(Lincli Farm), and the remainder about six miles northward, in 
the romantic, but ainproductive, neighbourhood of Famhurst. 

Lince was held before the Conquest of Edward the Confessor, 
by Ulric. It was rated at five hides. There were six plough- 
lands, a church, two ministri, and a wood of 10 hogs. In 1670 
it was part of the estate of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, and subse- 
quently became the property of the Viscountess Montague. 
Hollycombe, the residence of Barlow Frederick Pratt, Esq., was 
built from a design by Nash, and was formerly inhabited by Sir 
Charles William Taylor, Bart. 

The benefice anciently belonged to the Priory of Easebourne. 
The present church was erected about 1705. 

[S.A.C. Ironworks, ii, 214. Chapel of, xii, 73. Church-bell, xvi, 217.] 

LINCHMERE (or Lynchmere). 

A parish in the Hundred ofEaseboume ; Rape of Chichester ; distant about 
five miles from Midhurst ; Post-town, Haslemere ; Union, Midhurst. 
Population in 1811, 258 ; in 1861, 283. Benefice, a Perpetual Cu- 
racy, valued at .-£60 ; Patron and Incumbent, Rev. W. Henry Parson 
M.A., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1560. Acreage, 2,101. Chief Landowners, The Earl of Egmont 
the Rev. W. H. Parson, Hasler HoUist, Esq., and Mrs. Harriott. 

This frontier parish abuts on the counties of Hampshire 
and Surrey, and its surface includes arable, pasture, woodland, 
and heath, while the subsoil yields peat. At an early period it 
was held by the Percys. It then became the property of the 
Fitz- Alans, and at a later date it belonged to Sir William Fitz 
William ; and subsequently it descended as Cowdray. The 
church (St. Peter) is small and interesting, and was restored in 
1856. The scenery is very picturesque. 

For Shulbbed Peioey, in this parish, see that article. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 213. Shulbred Priory, vii, 217. xviii 195 
Church, xii, 82. Church-bells, xvi, 217.] ' 



29 
LINDFIELD. 

Vulgo, Linvul; a parish in the Hundred of Burleigh- Arches ; Rape of 
Pevensey ; distant 3^ miles east from Cuckfield. It is a Post-town. 
Railway station, Hayward's Heath, distant about 1^ mile. Union, 
Cuckfield. Population in 1811, 1,237 ; in 1861, 1,917. Benefice, 
a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £100 ; Patron, W. M. Keames, Esq.; 
Incumbent, Rev. J. Milner, M.A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1559. Acreage, 5,776. Seata, Pax-Hill Park, P. Northall Laurie, 
Esq. ; Buxshalls, W. D. JoUands, Esq. ; Gravelye, Summer Hill, 
Beadle Hill, Sunte House, Oat Hall, The Welkin, Milton House, and 
Little Walsted. 

Lindfield is situated in a most picturesque country, and its 
broad village street, with its antique timbered houses, is exceed- 
ingly interesting. Any one tired of the bustle of this changeful 
life might safely retire to Lindfield as one of the most peaceful 
spots in Britain. Its name appears to be derived from the 
Anglo-Saxon lindey a linden, or Ume tree, and feldy a field. 

The manor anciently belonged to the College of Mailing near 
Lewes, and was thence known as the manor of South-Mal- 
ling-Lindfield. Tradition speaks of a convent in this parish, 
but of its history and situation I can obtain no particulars. 
There are several ancient residences. Pax-Hill is a stone man- 
sion, built late in the reign of Elizabeth, on an elevated spot, 
and surrounded with a deer park. It was long the residence of 
a branch of the Boord or Board family, and the last male heir 
of that line dying in 1 787, left it to his three daughters and 
co-heiresses, one of whom married Gibbs Crawfurd, Esq., whose 
grand-daughter was wife of Arthur W. W. Smith, Esq. Albert 
Smith, brother of the latter, the well-known comic lecturer and 
writer, built a chdlet near the park, and occasionally resided 
there. Kenwardes, an ancient building, now occupied as a farm- 
house, was long a seat of the old Sussex family of Chaloner, or 
Challener, of whom was Major Chaloner, a partizan of Crom- 
well. He was an influential magistrate, and many lay marriages 
were performed before him. East Maskalls formerly belonged 
to a family of that name, and was owned, in the seventeenth cen- 
tury, by a branch of the Newtons, of the same family as the 
Newtons of Southover, near Lewes, from whom it descended to 
the family of Noyes. The mansion was constructed in the old 
timber-ftumed style, and was long in a very ruinous condition, 
and tenanted by cottagers. The arms of the Newtons, in painted 
glass, were formerly in the windows. Sir Isaac Newton is sup- 
posed to have been a connection of an earlier line of this family. 
Sunte belonged to the family of Hamlyn. John Hamlyn, Esq., 
who died in 1774 left two daughters and co-heiresses. Anne, 



30 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

the elder, married John Borrer, Esq. of Henfield, and after- 
wards John Dennet, Esq., of Woodmancote : it is now the seat 
of George Catt, Esq. Bnxshalls, supposed to have been the 
residence of a branch of the ancient family of Boxhnlle of Ro- 
bertsbridge, one of whom was K. G. in the reign of Edward III., 
is a pleasant modem erection on an ancient site. Paper works 
were formerly carried on in this parish. 

The church (St. John the Baptist), principally in the Perpen- 
dicular style, is a picturesque object. The tower seems to be 
Early English, and has a shingled spire. The building is 
cruciform, and on the south is a parvise, or small apartment 
over the entrance. The north transept was rebuilt, during the 
repairs which the building underwent some years ago. Those 
repairs were carried out without the smallest regard to pro- 
priety or respect for antiquity. Some of the most beautiful 
fragments of fourteenth-century glass I ever saw were re- 
moved from one of the south windows, and a brass plate to the 
memory of i^SCtAttH <ttl)aUenet, which I remember in situ, on a 
stone on the floor, now lies before me. It bears the date of IBOl. 
Beautiful wood carvings were also removed from the church ; in 
short, there was a general spoliation of nearly all that was 
ancient. There are, or were, mortuary inscriptions to the names 
of Allen, Board, Burrell, Wildbee, Spence, &c. A Perpendicular 
altar-tomb has been removed, and the brasses of a slab repre- 
senting a man, woman, and seven children have also been taken 
away. All this spoliation, which grieves the antiquary's heart, 
is owing to the singular ecclesiastical condition of the parish. 
It was, at a very early date, one of the " peculiars'' of the Arch- 
bishops of Canterbury, and as such was granted by Archbishop 
Theobald, in 1150, to the College of Mailing. On the dissolu- 
tion of that establishment, in 1546, it was given to Sir Thomas 
Palmer of Angmering, a gentleman of the Privy Chamber of 
Henry Vin., an enormous acquirer of church property in Sussex, 
and it remained in lay hands, the holder being bound to repair 
the chancel and provide an " honest priest" for the services of 
the church. This poor cleric got about £30 a year, and some- 
times as little as £20, while the impropriator derived a lar^e 
sum from the parish in tithes, &c. This led to a very lax state 
of thiiigs ; the Archbishop declined to interfere, and not unfre- 
quently no service was held. Even worse than this, the last 
rites of the church could hardly be performed, and it is said 
that within the nineteenth century bodies of deceased par- 
ishioners have remained in the church for several days for want 
of an officiating priest ! A better state of things, however, now 
prevails. A curious " Boke of Accompts'' of the parish, dating 
from 1580, came into the hands of the Sussex Archseological 
Society some years since, but is now in proper custody. It is 



LINDFIELD. LITLINGTON. 31 

fall of interesting matter, and an abstract of it has been printed 
in vol. xix of the " Collections." It appears from this document 
that the inhabitants did all in their power to maintain the fabric 
of the chnrch, and that they were particularly fond of bell ring- 
ing. There are at present five bells. 

It may be mentioned that there is in the church a very unusual 
sepulchral effigy, impressed or incised on three glazed tiles, the 
entire size of the memorial being 45 inches by 15 : the date is 
1520. In 1848 a curious mural painting was disclosed on the east 
wall of the south transept. It represented the Archangel St. 
Michael and St. Margaret, with a dragon of many heads at their 
feet. The Archangel held a pair of scales, in which he was 
weighing the souls of the dead. 

Altogether there are in Sussex few parishes of more interest 
than Lindfield, either for the antiquary or the artist. The well- 
known and respected Sussex family of Verral seem to have ori- 
ginated here, and the name was formerly written Fairhall. 

[S. A. C. Mural paintings, ii, 129. Iron-works, ii, 214. xix, 41. Borde 
family, vi, 197. xix, 40, 43, 48. xx, 61. Newtons of East Mascalls, ix, 312. 
xvii, 259. xix, 40, 48, 49. Nunnery (?), x, 213. Paxhill and its neighbour- 
hood {Blencowe), xi, i. East Mascalls, xi, i, 83. Trimmens Columbarium, 
xi, 6. Chaloners of, xi, 12. xiv, 149. xviii, 25, 39. xix, 37, 40, 49. Ham- 
lyns of, xi, 81. xix, 48. Henslows of, xiv, 47. Vine, schoolmaster and an- 
tiquary of, xiv, 227. xix, 195. Combers of, xvi, 48. Giles of, xvi, 48. Bells 
of,xvi, 217. Men of, and Jack Cade, xviii, 25. Tuppens of, xviii, 162. Pa- 
rochial Documents, xix, 36 (Lower). Granted to the College of Mailing, ibid, 
Killingbeck, xix, 38. Roodloftin church, xix, 37. Finches in, xix, 40,48. 
Scrase bridge in, xix, 41. Skaymes Hill in, xix, 41. Bedles Hill in, xix, 
41. Sunt in, xix, 41, 48. Hour-glass in the church, xix, 43. Subscription 
to Cumberland churches, ibid. Books of Martyrs, &c., &c., belonged to 
the church, xix, 47. xx, 225. Church-marks at, xix, 48. Gravelygh in, 
xix, 48. Gate- Hall in, xix, 48. Boxhulles in, ibid. Felling of Pelling- 
bridge, xix, 49. Bartlott of, xix, 51 .] 



LITLINGTON- 



Vulgo, Lillinton; a parish in the Hundred of Longbridge; Rape of 
Pevensey; distant about four miles from Seaford ; Post-town, Lewes; 
Railway station, Berwick, distant about three miles. Union, East- 
bourne. Population in 1811, 117 ; in 1861, 134. Benefice, a Rectory, 
valued at £105; Patrons, Representatives of Rev. Thomas Scutt; In- 
cumbent, Rev. Richard White, B. A., of Durham University. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1695. Acreage, 893. Chief Landowner^ T. S. 
Richardson, Esq. Seat^ Clapham House, at present the residence of 
C. T. Latrobe, Esq., C.B., formerly Governor of Victoria. 

A small South Down parish on the river Cuckmere. The 



32 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

etymology is obvious. The manor is a sub-infeudation of Bishop- 
ston. Temp. Henry II. it was the property of the family of 
Hiis6e, or Hosatus, who gave a rent from a mill here to Dureford 
Abbey in West Sussex. Since that time it has been held by 
Hunt, Rootes, Pelham, Mallory, Bean, and Scutt. Chambers 
Court, now destroyed, received its name from the ancient family 
of De la Chambre, originally of Chambers Court, in Laughton, 
and subsequently of Siodmill, Denton, and Seaford. One of the 
name was at Agincourt. 

The church consists of a nave, chancel, and bell-turret, with a 
spire. Of the three bells one is inscribed to St. John. The 
chancel and other portions are Norman. The west end is Deco- 
rated or earlier. Two sedilia, a piscina, and traces of a rood- 
loft remain; also in the north wall of the chancel a Perpendicular 
tomb-arch. (Hussey.) On the floor was a fractured stone, marked 
^th crosses, which was originally the altar. In the north-west 
angle of the nave is a very small newel staircase. The church 
has recently been restored, at an expense of £600. Here are ex- 
tensive nursery, finit, and pleasure gardens, beautifully situated 
on rising ground near the river Cuckmere. 

[S. A. C. Marshall gifts to, xiii, 52. Chambers of, xiii, 258. xiv, 213. 
De la Chambre at Agincourt, xv, 131. Bells, xvi, 141, 217.] 



LITTLEHAMPTON, or HAMPTON-PARVA. 

Domesday, Hantone.; a parish in the Hundred of Poling ; Rape of Arundel ; 
distant four miles from Arundel. It is a Post-town, andhas aRailway 
station on the South Coast line. Union, East Preston. Population in 
1811, 882 ; in 1861, 2,350. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £175 ; 
Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles Rum- 
ball, B.A., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Re- 
gister, 1642. Acreage, 1,222. 

Littlehampton is bounded on the south by the English 
Channel, and on the west by the Arun. It is the port of Arundel, 
and enjoys a considerable coasting trade, which has of late years 
added materially to the population. Before the Conquest, the 
Countess Goda, daughter of Ethelred n., had a hide in this 
manor. Afterwards it belonged to Earl Roger de Montgomeri. 
Before the confiscation of the alien priories, the French abbeys 
of Seez and Almanesche had lands here. At the Dissolution 
these lands came into the possession of the Crown, and the manor 
of Littlehampton, cum Tottington (in Lyminster), was sold in 
1562, to John Palmer, Esq., of Angmering. Sir Thomas Palmer, 



LITTLEHAMPTON. 83 

his son, succeeded in 1571. In 1712 Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, 
purchased the lands which now belong to the present Diike of 
Norfolk. Baylies Court is an outlying portion of this parish, 
that of Climping intervening. As is usual with Sussex rivers, 
the Arun has been driven by the force of the south-west winds, 
which tend by the accumulation of shingle, to the east. By this 
alteration the outlet of the river is now in Climping. In 1734, 
an Act was passed for erecting piers and repairing Arundel 
Harbour in the parish of Littlehampton. In 1739 a small 
battery was constructed for the protection of the port, and a 
new one has been built on the west side of the river. Ship- 
building is carried on here to a considerable extent, and Little- 
hampton has lately become a watering-place of considerable 
attractions. It is quiet, and possesses the advantages of agree- 
able scenery, a pure air, and excellent sea-sands. Regattas and 
races are annually held. 

The Empress Maude is said to have landed here in 1139, on a 
visit to Queen Adeliza at Arundel, after which she was besieged 
there by King Stephen. 

The church (Our Lady) having been found too small for the 
population was taken down in 1826, and a larger one erected. 
In the new church the east window, a round-headed doorway, 
and the ancient font have been preserved. There is one bell. 
The ecclesiastical history of this parish is very curious. At the 
confiscation of the church lands by Henry V., on the dissolution 
of the alien priories before mentioned, a portion of them was 
granted to the Nunnery of Sion in liliddlesex, and the other 
portion to the College of Arundel. The latter establishment 
found an officiating priest for the cure of souls, who was styled 
" Clericus conductitius,'' or removable curate. In the time of 
Henry YIII., Henry, Earl of Arundel, became possessed of the 
lands which had belonged to Arundel CoUege, and his moiety 
was transferred by hun to John Edmondes, Esq. The other 
moiety was retained by the Crown till 3rd Elizabeth, when, by 
an exchange, it passed to the see of Chichester, and the Bishop 
became impropriator, the vicarage being held under seques- 
tration. 

Tanner mentions a Priory in Littlehampton called Athering- 
ton ; but this seems to rest upon the assumption that the monks 
of Seez had a cell here, whereas it appears that there was only 
a single monk resident, who acted as Bailiff, and hence the place 
acquired the name of Baylie's Court. 

[8. A. C. Churcli, xii, 92. Baldwins, xii, 92. Edmondes, ibid. Holy- 
bread land, xiv, 155. Churcli bell, xvi, 217. Arun river, xvi, 259.] 
VOL. II. n 



34 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

LODSWORTH. 

A Parish locally in the Hundred of Easebonrne ; Rape of Chichester ; 
distant 3^ miles west from Petworth, its Post town and Railway sta- 
tion. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 393 ; in 1861, 629. 
Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £56. Patron, the Earl of Eg- 
mont ; Incumbent, Rev. C. Leopold S. Clarke, M. A., of New College, 
Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1563. Acreage, 1,805. 
Chief Landowners, The Earl of Egmont, W. T. Mitford, J. Henry, 
and H. Hollist, Esquires. Seats, Lodsworth House, Hasler HoUist, 
Esq. ; Blackdown House, James Henry, Esq. (see Lurgashall.) 

This long and narrow parish is intersected in its southern 
portion by the Western Eother, which is here crossed by a 
bridge. The parish is famous for its growth of apples. 

The Liberty of Lodsworth, which is co-extensive with the 
parish, possesses remarkable privileges, viz. — exemption from 
himdred-courts, from tolls in any fair or market, and from the 
jurisdiction of the sheriff — ^but the bailiff of the Bishop of London 
is to return all writs. A three-weeks' court may be held for re- 
covery of debts by a jury of free suitors, with imprisonment for 
debt within the gaol belonging to the liberty. No inquisitions 
post-mortem are to be held for lands, &c. These immunities and 
privileges are set forth in an Inspeximus dated 3rd Henry VI., 
1425. The parish was an early appendage to the see of London, 
and these peculiar rights were granted by one of the Bishops, 
but what the parish gained in temporal matters it lost in 
spiritual, for the cure of souls of the church of St. Peter de- 
volved on a stipendiary priest, while the great tithes accrued to 
St. Paul's. This was literally " robbing Peter to pay Paul.'* 
The manor was granted by Henry VIII. to Sir Anthony Browne, 
who annexed it to Cowdray, with which it has ever since passed. 
Lodsworth House, the seat of Hasler Hollist, Esq., is a modem 
mansion with a tower, in a small but beautiful park. Mr. Hollist 
took the name in exchange from Capron,afamily who held lands 
in Lodsworth in the thirteenth century. 

The church (St. Peter) is sometimes described as a chapel to 
Easeboume. It consists of a nave, chancel, transepts, aisles, 
and a square tower, and has been almost entirely rebuilt within 
the last few years. It contains several memorials for the fami- 
lies of Hollist and Bridger. Of the old manor-house adjacent 
to the churchyard the following account was printed a few 
years since : — " It is now a farmhouse and much shorn of its 
former dimensions. Many of its rooms are much dilapidated. 
One or two heavy buttresses and a pointed window partly blocked 
up remain, and in the kitchen is a good fire back with the arms 
of the 1st Viscount Montague, with sixteen quarterings and 



LOXWOOD. LULLINGTON. 35 

supporters. There is a dungeon in the house." This may have 
been the " Kberty prison " of Lodsworth. The site of the 
*' liberty gallows " is pointed out at a place called Galley-hill. 

[S. A. C. FitzHeriz lands belonging to priory of Hardham, xi, 114. 
Chapel, xii, 94. Rents to Boxgrove,xY, 119. Bells, xvi, 217. Liberty and 
gaol, XX, 31.] 



LOXWOOD (or Loxwood End). 

A hamlet and ancient chapelry of Wisborough Green. The 
chapel was erected by license of Bishop Robert R^ty, in 1414. 
Three maiden sisters are said to have improved and endowed it 
about 1640. It consists of nave and chancel. 



LULLINGTON. 



Yulgo, Linkun, or Little Chapel, a Parish in the Hundred of Alciston ; 
Rape of Pevensey ; distant nine miles south-east from Lewes, which is 
its Post-town. Railway station, Berwick, distant about three miles. 
Union, Eastbourne. Population in 1811, 48; in 1861, 16! Benefice, 
a Vicarage, valued at £40 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Se- 
questrator, Rev. Henry Kelson, M.A., of Sidney-Sussex College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1721. Acreage, 1,162. 

This South Down parish has one of the smallest populations 
in the county ; as also the smallest church, the interior of which 
measures only about 16 feet square. It is, however, only the 
chancel of the original Early English structure. This parish 
wa* origiBaUy a chapeliy to Alciston. 

About forty years since a gentleman attended morning service here, 
when the congregation amounted to twelve persons. The curate was a 
remarkably diminutive man : he preached from John xi, 35, and the 
offertory realized 18d. — upon which the stranger remarked that it was 
the smallest church, the smallest parson, the shortest text, and the 
smallest collection he had ever witnessed. 

The manor was held 28th Elizabeth by Sir Philip Sydney. It 
afterwards passed to the SackviUes, whose descendants still 
possess it. The Woodhams family have held the farm for many 
generations. ^ 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermill, v, 271. Marshall's legacy, xiii, 52. 
Bell, xvi, 217. Manor to Battle Abbey, xvii, 54. Stone of, xvii, 151. 
Woodhams family, xvii, 241. A Lullington man in Cadets rebellion, xviii, 
27.] 

D 2 



36 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

LURGASHALL. 

A parish in the Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Eape of Anmdel ; distant 
five miles north-west from Petworth, its Post-town and Railway 
station. Union, Midhnrst. Population in 1811, 549 ; in 1861, 727. 
Benefice*, a Rectory, valued at £463 ; Patron, Lord Leconfield ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Septimus Fairies, B.A., of St. John's College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. Acreage, 
4,850. Chief Landowners, Lord Leconfield, Lord Egmont, W. T. 
Mitford, Esq., and Hasler Hollist, Esq. Seat, Blackdown Cottage, 
General Yaldwin. 

The ancient spellings Lodekersale, Lotegershale, &c., justify 
the derivation of the name of this parish from Leodgarins 
(corruptly Leger), whose aula or hall it probably was, in Saxon 
times. The situation is truly romantic, and from Blackdown 
Hill views certaialy unequalled in Sussex for grandeur and 
variety can be' obtained. This hill, which is of triangular form, 
lies half in this parish — ^the rest in Lodsworth and Famhurst. 
It is a remarkable cropping up of the greensand formation, and 
rises towards Lurgashall to a bold promontory 800 feet above the 
level of the sea. It is covered with furze, hoUy, and timber, and 
from its grand and sombre appearance well deserves its name. 
Blackdown House, just over the border of the parish, in Lods- 
worth, is one of the most romantically situated mansions in 
West Sussex. It was partly built in 1640, by William Yaldwin, 
Esq., who was High Sheriff of the county in 1666, and a partisan 
of Cromwell; and from this circumstance tradition has inti- 
mately associated Blackdown with that personage. The estate 
belonged for eight generations to the Taldwins, from William 
Yaldwin, who died in 1590, to the present WiUiam Henry 
Yaldwyn, Esq., who has recently sold it to James Henry, Esq. 
The manors in the parish are Diddlesfold and River. About 
half the great stag park of Petworth is in Lurgashall, and the 
lords of Petworth have until lately paid a modus of a fat buck 
and doe to the parson, who at present receives £10 in lieu thereof. 

The church (St. Lawrence) consists of a nave and chancel, 
with a tower and shingled spire on the south side. The chancel 
(Early English) was rebuilt some years since, and the tower is 
of the Perpendicular period. Adjoining the south porch, toihe 
west, is an open cloister of timber frame, which is said to have 
been built for the accommodation of remote parishioners who 
therein ate their dinner between matins and evensong. The 
nave, in 1866, 7, underwent thorough preservation, and in the 
course of removing the plaster from both sides of the walls, 
very ancient herringbone masonry, and a north door (I think 
unquestionably Saxon) were discovered. On the plaster inside 



LYMINSTER. 37 

were disclosed tliree rude coats of arms, probably of the 14tli 
century. I. Ten annulets, 4, 3, 2, 1 ; II. Five rasils — ^Dawtry . 
of Petworth. IIL Chequy — ^the arms of Lewes Priory. The 
last coat is accounted for by the fact that SeflBid II., Bishop of 
Chichester, 1180-1204, granted this church to the Priory of 
Lewes, which held it until the Dissolution. The building, which 
is fiill of interesting features, contains many memorials for the 
Taldwyns of Blackdown. The parish reckons among its rectors 
a William Cobden, James Bramston, author of ^* The Art of 
Politics," and Nicholas Turner, brother of Charlotte Smith. (See 
*^ Worthies of Sussex," pp. 58 and 16.) In this parish and that 
of Chiddingfold, just over the Surrey border, are to be found 
various members of the supposed Saxon family of Enticknapp, 
now in plebeian condition, and called by their neighbours and 
themselves Emlet. 

[S. A. C. Shelvestrode family, xii, 29. Church, xii, 74. James Bram- 
ston, xiv, 8. Bells, xvi, 217. River Bother, xvi, 260.] 



LYMINSTER, or Leominster. 

Vulgo, Ltmster; a parish in the Hundred of Poling ; Rape of Arundel; 
near its Post-town, Arundel. Union, East Preston. Population in 
1811, 554 ; in 1861, 801. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £350 ; 
Patron, the Bishop of London ; Incumbent, Rev. Matthew Enraght, 
M.A., of Trinity College, Dublin. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1556. Acreage, 3,230. There are several excellent mansions and 
residences in the parish, and in its tything Warningcamp. 

The etymology of this name is ." Leonis monasterium," 
the convent of St. Leo. It is found in records as Lolimninster, 
and sometimes Nonneminster, from a nunnery which existed 
here in ancient times. About half the parish is meadow and 
brook land, in the valley of the Arun. The earliest mention of 
the place is in the will of King Alfred, who bequeaths it to his 
nephew Osferd. Whether this place or the town in Hereford- 
shire is the place from which Suane, son of Earl Godwin, in- 
veigled the Abbess,is uncertain. (See Pevensey.) From Domesday 
it appears that it was held in demesne by the Confessor, and after 
the Conquest by Earl Eoger. It then contained twenty hides 
never taxed. There were forty-four ploughlands, sixfy-eight 
villeins, and forty-three cottagers, a church, a mill, and two 
salt-pans, and wood for thirty swine. Its value was £50. Robert 
held a small estate, which, temp. Confessor, had belonged to Azor, 
and was worth lOs. 
U The manor followed the descent of the earldom of Arundel, 



38 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

until it was transferred by sale, temp. EUzabeth, to Richard 
Knight, of Chawton, co. Hants. In 1679 it devolved by the 
wife of Sir Eichard Knight to Richard Martin, son of Michael 
Martin, by Frances, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Christopher 
Lewknor, after a circuitous descent through female heirs, whose 
husbands successively took the name of Knight. In 1786, T. 
May Knight, Esq., sold the manor to Charles Goring, Esq., of 
Wiston, with whose representative it remains. 

CouETwicK, formerly called " Powers in Wyke," was granted 
by Henry III. to Stephen le Power, and it descended in the 
female line to the Apsleys and BeUinghams. ' At the Reformation 
it belonge d to t he monastery of Tewkesbury, and was granted 
by Henry Vlli. to Robert Palmer, of Parham. By his descend- 
ant it was conveyed in 1722 to James Colebrook, whose son sold 
it in 1772 to Richard Bagnall, by whom it was sold in 1774 to 
Richard Wyatt, Esq., and his great grandson, Hugh Wyatt, 
Esq., LL.D., is the present owner. 

Tottington is mentioned in Domesday as a distinct manor, 
though held like Lyminster by Azor and by Robert. Totentune 
was rated at four hides ; before the Conquest it was rated at 
60s., afterwards at 70s. It is now a hamlet lying in the south- 
east part of the parish adjacent to Little-Hampton, It belongs 
to the Duke of Norfolk. 

Wajbningoamp is a district or tything comprising about a third 
part of the parish, and is bounded by the Arun. Turgod held 
" Warnecha '' of the Confessor, and after the Conquest NigeUus 
held it. This also was rated at four hides. Temp. Confessoris it 
was worth 60s., afterwards 20s., then 50s., so that some calamity 
probably befel it at the Norman invasion. The manor of Blake- 
hurst, which contains the whole of Wamingcamp, has been 
possessed by Morley, Geere, Cheale, Whitbread, and Margesson. 
It is now annexed to the demesne of Arundel Castle. The area 
is 919 acres, and the population in 1861 was 107. Wamingcamp 
was anciently a distinct parish, but it seems to have been eccle- 
siastically united with Lyminster before 1292. It is mentioned 
as a chapelry in 1492. The church or chapel was on the hill to 
the north-west of the hamlet, but the last vestiges were removed 
in 1847, when a cottage was erected on the site. Batworth Park 
is an ancient appendage to Arundel Castle. It is loftily situated, 
and commands a fine view of the Castle. Cavalry barracks were 
built here in 1800, but have been removed. 

The Nunnery of Lyminster was of the Benedicbine order, 
founded on the basis of the Saxon establishment by an early 
member of the De Montgomeri family, soon after the Conquest. 
The church and demesnes were then given to the nuns of 
Almanesche in Normandy, also founded by Eoger de Montgomeri, 



MADEHURST. 39 

and it continued to be a cell. The convent consisted of a prioress 
and four nuns. Temp. Henry V. the possessions were confis- 
cated, and later the impropriate tythes were granted as part of 
the foundation of Eton College. It is now held by lessees. 
The site of the nunnery has been built upon, and no trace of 
the ancient walls is leffc. The Chart farm, formerly part of 
the monastic estate, passed through a succession of owners to 
the widely-spread and numerous West Sussex family of Duke. 

The church (St. Mary Magdalen) comprises west tower, nave, 
with north aisle and porch, and an unusually long chancel. The 
tower is Transition Norman, but the greater part of the building 
is Early English, with Perpendicular insertions. There is a 
musical peal of six bells. The chancel arch is of peculiar con- 
struction, and very lofty. I have not seen this building, but 
from Mr. Hussey's account of it, it has many points of interest, 
though Dallaway describes it as of " the coarse parochial archi- 
tectm-e," whatever that may mean. It contains monuments for 
the families of Blake, Groome, Wyatt, &c. In ancient times 
there were in this small church altars dedicated respectively to 
Our Lady and SSS. Stephen, John, and Catherine.* 

The Priory of Pyneham or De Calceto, like Warningcamp, 
has long been annexed to this parish. See Pyneham. 

[S.A.C. Domesday watermills, v, 271. Manor of Courtwick, x, 213. 
Calceto Priory, xi, 89. xviii, 56. Warningcamp (and its vineyard), xi, 
102-3. Blakehurst belonged to Tortington Priory, xi, 110. Church, xi, 
118. xii, 94. Hobgens of, t6i6?. Warningcamp chapel, ibid. Ropers of, ibid. 
Wyatts of Courtwick, xiii, 303. Lands given to Boxgrove, xv, 97. Madg- 
wick of, xvi, 50. Bells, xvi, 216. River Aran at, xvi, 258. Knucker-hole 
and its legend, xviii, 180 (Everahed).'] 



MADEHURST. 



A parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Rape of Arundel ; distant three 
miles north-west from Arundel, its Post-town and Railway station. 
Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 132; in 1861, 208. 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £100 ; Patron, John Charles 
Fletcher, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Nicholls, M. A., of Wadham 
College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register 1639. Acreage, 
1,908. J. C. Fletcher, Esq., of Dale Park, is owner of the entire 
parish. 

Dallaway supposes this parish to have formed, originally, 
part of Arundel forest. From temp. Edward I. to 1693, or 
later, it belonged to the Arundel estate. In the reign of James 

• Mr. Qibbon mentions from ancient wills, " the Good Cross of Lyminster," and 
two or throe oarious bequests. 



40 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

I. the manor passed to Sir Garret Kempe of Slyndon, and 
James-Anthony, Earl of Newbnrgh, sold it to Sir George Thomas, 
Bart., who died in 1815. That gentleman enclosed the lands 
now known as Dale Park, and erected the large and splendid 
mansion, from the designs of Bonomi, in 1784. His son aliened 
it to Thomas Read Kemp, Esq., M.P., who re-sold it to John 
Smith, Esq., M.P. It is now the property and seat of John 
Charles Fletcher, Esq. 

The church (St. Mary Magdalen), described by Dallaway as 
" of the plainest architecture,'^ was repaired in 1864, when a 
north aisle and a new chancel were added, chiefly at the charge 
of the patron. 

[S. A. C. Hoskyn, xii, 69. Church, xii, 95. Page, xvi, 50. BeUs, xvi, 
218. Kempes had lands in, xix, 119.] 



EAST HARDEN. 



A parish in the Hundred of Westboume ; Rape of Chichester ; distant 
eight miles north-west from Chichester ; Post-town, Petersfield, 
Union, Westboume. Population in 1811, 52 ; in 1861, 63. Benefice, 
a Vicarage, valued at £162 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; In- 
cumbent, Bev. Charles Philip Lyne, M.A.,of Queen's College, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1691. Acreage, 968. 

See under Upmarden. The prebend of East Harden in 
Chichester Cathedral was founded in the reign of Henry I., pro- 
bably by the family of Aguillon, when the manor, which is co- 
extensive with the parish, was annexed to it. The prebendary 
has usually leased the site and lands for three lives, and thus 
the families of Juxon, Brereton, Longcroft, Barwell, and Woods, 
have been lessees. It is now in the hands of W. Leyland Woods, 
Esq. 

The church (St. Peter) is described by Dallaway as having " a 
nave or pace only, and remarkable for great antiquity, from 
that circumstance." A recent account describes it as a hand- 
some Early English structure. 

[S. A. C. Church xii, 74. Bell, xvi, 218.] 



NOETH HARDEN. 



A parish in the Hundred of Westboume ; Eape of Chichester ; distant 
nine miles north from Chichester. Post-town, Petersfield. Union, 
Westboume. Population in 1811, 23 ; in 1861, 28. Benefice, a 



MARESFIELD. 41 

Rectory, valued at £70 ; Patron, the Lord of the Manor ; Incumbent, 
Rev. Andrew Vogan. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1813. Acre- 
age, 682. 

See under Upmarden. In 1475 the manor was held by 
Sir George Browne, of Betchworth Castle, who was beheaded 
by Richard III. in 1483. It remained in the Crown imtil it 
was giunted, by Queen Elizabeth, to William Grenefield. In later 
times it belong to the Jenmans and Peckhams, and from the 
latter it has descended to Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby. 

"The church,'* says Horsfield, "has nothing requiring re- 
mark.'* It certainly deserves notice for the apsidal termination 
of the chancel, which marks it of the Early Norman period. 
There are not more than four or five other instances of the apsis 
in the parish churches of Sussex. The rest of the building 
appears to be Early English. 

[S. A. 0. Church, xvi, 134. BeU, xvi, 218.] 



MARESFIELD. 



Yulgo, Maresfull ; a parish in the Hundred of Eushmonden ; Rape of 
Pevensey ; distant two miles north from Uckfield, its Post-town and 
Eailway station. Union, Uckfield. Population in 1811, 1,117; in 
1861, 1,911. Benefice, a Rectory valued at jg645 ; Patron, Charles 
Salisbury Butler, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Edward Turner, M.A., of 
Balliol College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1538. Acre- 
age, 7,750. Chief LaTidownerSy The Representatives of the late Sir 
John Shelley, Bart. 

The history of this parish has been fiilly written in the 
" Sussex Collections," by the Eev. Edward Turner, Eector. The 
soil varies from a stiff loam to a light sand, while Ashdown 
Forest, a large portion of which lies in the parish, belongs to 
the iron-sand formation, and is very barren. Its want of fer- 
tility is, in some measure, compensated by scenic beauty. The 
sha^ of the parish is irre^ar; its lea^ W south east tonorth 
west being folly seven miles, while its average breadth is two 
only. A nearly isolated part, called Stumbletts, bordering on West 
Hothly and East Grinstead, lies in a deep forest dell, and not 
far from their parish churches. Here dwell about forty of the 
Maresfield folk at a distance of 6^ miles from the parish church. 
This hamlet and Pippingford warren are both alluded to by 
Horace Smith, in " Brambletye/* Of the origin of the name of 
Maresfield we can only guess. In ancient documents it is spelt 
Marrysfeld, and Marysfield. As Mr. Turner conjectures, the 
district may formerly have been dedicated to St. Mary, though 
the church has now another invocation. 



42 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

The clinrch (St. Bartholomew), which, with the village, stands 
near the southern limit of the parish, is of the Perpendicular 
stjle, but has clearly been engrafted on a much earlier building, 
portions of the chancel and the east window being Decorated. It 
consists of a chancel, nave, and west embattled tower. The 
architecture is very simple, but the interior, the walls of which 
were originally covered with paintings in distemper, is much en- 
cumbered by a heavy gallery, and the Shelley pew. In the 
chancel are a piscina, and three iron grave-slabs, one of which is 
dated 1667. There are more recent records of the names of 
Michell, Kidder, &c. The tower contains six modem bells. The 
north porch, removed some years since from its original position, 
has some bold oak carving. 

The seats in the parish are of no great antiquity. The prin- 
cipal is Maresfield Park. The house, which was called "The 
Cross,*' was the residence of the Newnham family, from whom 
it came to Sir John Shelley, father of the late Sir John Villiers 
Shelley, Bart., formerly M.P. for Westminster. Sir John Shelley 
having inherited the estate through his mother, Wilhelmina, 
daughter and heiress of John Newnham, Esq., added to the old 
house, and made it a competent residence. It includes a library, 
sixty feet in length. The family of De Newenham is of great 
antiquity in the district, as appears from documents of temp. 
Edward III., and earlier. Another house, upon a larger scale, 
is Twyford Lodge, near Stumbletts, before mentioned. It was 
built by the late General Sewell, who inherited the estate from his 
uncle, William Sewell, Esq., one of the six Clerks in Chancery. 
In the 17th century, William Newnham, Esq., purchased a large 
tract of Ashdown Forest, called Pippingford, which he enclosed 
and partially planted. It subsequently passed, by sale, first to 
William Bradford, Esq., and then to Henry Shirley, Esq» The 
latter made large additions to the house, which was burnt down 
in 1836. The estate subsequently became the property of John 
Mortimer, Esq., who built a spacious house, which commands 
extensive views over the adjacent wild and romantic scenery. 
Forest Lodge is another modem house, the residence of Captain 
William Noble ; and Twyford Abbey is that of Robert Trotter, 
Esq. The only two houses of considerable antiquity are, 1st, 
" Trtie Park,*' now a farm house, with few ancient features. This 
was the residence in the 16th and 17th centuries of the family of 
Bootes, or Eutes, a name of frequent occurrence in this district. 
Originally it possessed a well-timbered park. The present Mares- 
field Park, then, is a modern substitution for '' The Cross.'* The 
lands, with the advowson of the church, formed part of the 
estate of Viscoimt Gage, until 1860, when they were purchased 
by Sir J. V. Shelley. 2nd, " Marshalls." The property, doubt- 



MARESFIELD. 43 

less, belonged originally to a branch of the ancient Sussex family 
of Marescal or Marshall, some of whose members served the 
office of SherifiF as early as temp. Richard I. and John. In much 
later times it would seem to have belonged to the BeUes, and it 
afterwards came to the Nutts, a branch of the family settled at 
Mays, in Sebneston, in the 1 7th century. By one of the Nutts 
the present stone mansion was built during the Stuart period. 
From the last of that family it passed to tiie Holfords, and it 
afterwards came b^ purchase to Sir John V. SheUey, Bart. A 
large house, built in the last century by Mr. William Newnham, 
was called Street House. It stood opposite the church, but was 
pulled down by the late Sir J. V. Shelley, when the entrance gate 
to his grounds, a building in the medieval taste, was erected. 
The family of Kidder were of long standing in the parish. They 
were here, according to Mr. Turner, temp. Edward 11., and one 
at least of them was BaUiff of Ashdown. They sent ofPbranches 
to East Grinstead, Lewes, and many other places ; one branch 
went to the United States. Bichard Kidder, Bishop of Bath and 
WeUs, was of this stock. The Manor of Duddleswell, partly in 
Maresfield, belongs to the Earl de la Warr, and there are copious 
records respecting it among the BurreU MSS. On a command- 
ing site at Duddleswell stands the elegant residence of Elphin- 
stone Barchard, Esq. In this parish are two excellent nursery 
gardens, belonging respectively to Mr. Wood and Mr. Mitchell. 
The latter is widely renowned for its roses, and for the finest 
specimens of the Araucaria imbricata known in England. 

There were three considerable iron-works in M!aresfield; at 
Old Land ; at the Old Forge, near Lampool ; and at the Forge, at 
the south extremity of the parish, on the site now occupied by 
gunpowder works. At Old Land the scorise, or refuse of the 
smelted iron, known as ** cinders,*' cover many acres of laoid, in 
beds varying from three to six feet in thickness. That the works 
were carried on here by the Bomans at a very early period of 
their dominion in Britain, I have fiilly shown in vol. ii. of the 
" Sussex Collections." Remains of that people in coins, fibulsB, 
Samian, and other pottery, were found in these cinder-beds in 
and before the year 1844, when the cinders were much employed 
in the repair of roads in the neighbourhood. At the " Old 
Forge" cannon were cast, and balls have frequently been found 
in the neighbouring proof-bank. 

Among the learned rectors of Maresfield was the Bev. Henry 
MicheU, who held the living for fifty years, and the vicarage of 
Brighton for forty-five. He was instituted to the benefice in 
1789. His great erudition is well known, and his friend Clarke, 
of Buxted, characterized him as a man of great taste and sound 
judgment, who " read Greek in the country." (See Memoir in 



44 HISTORY OP SUSSEX. 

" Worthies of Sussex/' p. 230.) The rectory ofMaresfield, at 
the time of the Nonse Return in 1342, had considerable rights in 
the chase of Ashdown, including pasturage for twenty head of 
cattle, and pannage for twenty-four hogs, so that we may con- 
clude that the parson had a weU-stored larder. There are many 
other matters of interest in Mr. Turner's paper, to which I beg 
to refer the reader. 

[S. A. C, including the references to Ashdown and Nutley, Iron works, 
ii, 171, 214. iii, 243, 245. xviii, 16, 62, 68. Extracts from Parish Register, 
iv, 244. Kings Edward II. and Edward III. at, vi, 54. ix, 154. xiy, 45. 
John of Gaunt at, xiy, 45. Royal hunting seat, viii, 32. xvii, 121. John 
Wickliffe at, ix, 42. Free chapels of Nutley and Dudeney, ix, 41, 43. xiv, 
43. XX, 230. Kidders of, ix, 125. Nutts of Marshalls, xi, 49. xiv, 147. 
Marshalls of, xi, 83. xiv ,146. xv, 213. Coins, Roman, Saxon, &c., 
ii, 169. xiv, 38. xiv, 36. xviii, 67. xvii. 252. Church, xii, 17. Shelleys 
of, xiii, 140. Ashdown Forest, xiv, 34. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 28. Earl 
of Dorset at Duddleswell Lodge,xiv, 5 1 . The last deer of Ashdown, xiv, 62. 
Parochial History {Turner), xiv, 138. Michelbome of, xiv, 150. Rootes of, 
xiv, 237. Keymer of, xiv, 237. Bells, xvi, 218, 219. Pilt-down, xvii, 252. 
Twyford Lodge, xix, 37. Mill,xix, 206. Church of John Pettyt,ix,43. xiv, 
46. Levetts of, xix, 94,] 



MATFIELD. 

Vulgo, Madmil ; a town and parish in the Hundred of Loxfield-Pelham ; 
RapeofPevensey; distant 8^ miles from Tunbridge Wells; Post-town, 
Hawkhurst ; Railway station, Jarvis Brook, distant about 2 miles ; 
Union, Uckfield. Population in 1811, 2,079 ; in 1861, 2,688. Bene- 
fice, a Vicarage, valued at £834 ; Patron and Incumbent, Rev. H. 
T. M. Kirby, M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1,572. Acreage, 13,604. Chief Land- 
owners, The Marquis Camden, Right Hon. H. Brand, M.P., Sir F. 
Sykes, Bart., John Hoskins, Esq. Seats, ^c, Lower House, Walter 
Sprott, Esq.; Tidebrook, T.W.Adams, Esq.; Skipper's Hill, S. 
Hughes Esq. ; Sunny Bank, Donald Barclay, Esq. ; Summer Hill, 
W. Taylor, Esq. ; The Vicarage, Rev. H. T. M. Kirby, &c. 

Of Mayfield, Mr. Durrant Cooper remarks : — " This is the 
ground of Sussex miracles and wonders. The very name of 
Loxfield reminds us of the evil spirit; whilst here it was that St. 
Dunstan, finding the orientation of his first wooden church 
rather defective, placed his shoulder to the comer, according to 
Eadmer, and left it due East and West ; and here, too, whilst at 
work at the forge, turning a horse-shoe, he perceived the * old 
gentleman ' (in the guise of a beautiful lady) at his anvil, and 
seizing him by the nose made him vanish.^'^ The legend goes 

* S. A. 0. Vol. xxi., p. 1. 



MAYFIELD. 45 

On to state that when the Saint had the fonl fiend well in the 
grasp of his tongs the latter flew away with him, and he, with 
the pertinacity which always distinguished him, hung on to the 
demon for the distance of three miles, and at length descended 
at a place still called Dunstan's Bridge. The pincers, anvil, and 
hammer of the Saint are yet preserved in the ante-chapel of the 
Palace, and they were formerly regarded as irrefragable evidence 
of the truth of the legend ! 

St. Dunstan certainly had a mansio or resting-place at May- 
field, and he was doubtless founder of the original church pre- 
viously to the year 988, the date of his death. Subsequent 
Archbishops of Canterbury enlarged Dunstan's palace until it 
became one of the stateliest edifices in the South of Ed gland, and 
was able to give reception to royalty. King Edward I. visited 
it on several occasions, 1297, 1305. Simon deMeopham, Arch- 
bishop, and his successor both died here, a^d it was here that, 
in 1332, a Council* for the regulation of Saints* days was held. 
Numerous deeds, ranging from 1294, to the date of the Refor- 
mation, prove that Mayfield (Magafelda) was a favourite resi- 
dence of the Primates, who held it until Cranmer surrendered 
it together with the manor, park, and good lands, to Henry 
VIII. About the year 1350 Archbishop Islip erected the magni- 
ficent hall, and many of the other buildings still remaining. 
The hall itself is 70 feet by 39, and 60 feet high to the apex of 
the roof. Some parts of the Palace are in the Perpendicular 
style of the early part of the 16th century. The ensemble 
before the date of the Reformation must have been very 
grand. Besides the great hall there was a quadrangle at the 
east end, with projections in the form of square towers. 
To the south of the Palace the gate-house still remains ; it 
is of the 15th century, and has a lofty pointed arch, now 
partly blocked up. To return to the hall, it was stripped of its 
roof towards the end of the last century, and for many years 
the three grand supporting arches open to the weather re- 
mained, one of the finest specimens of the noble and picturesque 
in Gothic architecture. The character of the building has been 
well described in Vol. ii. of the " Sussex Archseological Col- 
lections," and in Vol. xxiii. of the ^'Journal of the British 
Archaeological Asssociation," and to them I must refer for many 
exceedingly interesting details. A short time since, when the 
Palace was partially restored for the purpose of using it as a 
Convent, the roof was reinstated, and what was for ages the 
banqueting-hall of the Archbishops was refitted as a chapel for 
the Eoman-Catholic Sisterhood. Another principal apartment 
of the Palace bears the name of Queen Elizabeth's room, from 

* This was called Concilium Maghfeldente, 



46 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

the tradition that that sovereign occupied it during a temporary 
visit to Mayfield. Another feature of the building is a remark- 
ably strong and massive staircase of stone, leading from the 
ground floor to the upper apartments. No traces of the true 
original chapel remain. 

After the alienation of the Palace by Cramner, in 1545, Sir 
John Gresham purchased it, and members of his family held it, 
and occasionally resided here. Among the number was Sir 
Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Eoyal Exchange, whose 
crest, the grasshopper, appears with the date 1571, in " Queen 
Elizabeth's room.'' In 1579 the Palace and estate were devised 
to Sir Henry Neville, who appears to have resided at Mayfield, 
but in 1597 he sold tiie palace and manor to Thomas May, Esq., 
of the Franchise in Burwash, whose wife andson sold them in 161 7 
to John Baker, Esq., in whose descendants they long vested. In 
1863 the Duchess of Leeds bought the Palace for conventual 
purposes, and the adaptation of the buildings to that use was 
entrusted to Mr. Pugin. The hundred and manor were separated 
from the Palace, and passed from the Bakers through the Pel- 
hams to the Marquis Camden in 1790. 

The park, call^ Frankham, for the archiepiscopal venison, 
was upwards of 400 acres in extent, while the fishponds, measur- 
ing 9 acres, attested, as Mr. Cooper observes, " the care for the 
welfare of the most reverend prelates on fast days." 

Mayfield parish is divided into four districts, called quarters, 
namely. Town, Moushill, Five-ash, and Bibleham. The last-named 
was formerly called Bivelham, and was the seat of iron-works 
when this and the neighbouring parishes were largely engaged 
in that industry. To the iron trade succeeded hop-growing, and 
in 1837 no less than 614 acres of hop-gardens existed. 

Thename of Cade prevailed in this parish for many generations, 
John being the favourite prsenomen.* This goes far te confirm 
the statement that Jack Cade, the rebel, who was slain in the 
adjacent parish of Heathfield in 1450, was an East Sussex man, 
and not an Irishman, as some of our chroniclers assert. Thomas 
May, the poet, and historian of the Long Parliament, son of the 
purchaser of the estate from Sir H. Neville, lived in his early 
days at Mayfield, and Sir Thomas Jenner, the celebrated lawyer 
and judge, first saw the light in this parish in 1638. 

Mayfield parish contains, besides the manor of its own name, 
those of Isenhuraty which was formerly part of the possessions 
of Michelham Priory, and at later dates the property of the 
families of Baker, Kirby, and Treheme ; and Bibleham^ long in 
the possession of the Pelhams, but now belonging to the Right 
Hon. Henry Brand, M.P. In the last generation the three princi- 

* See Mr. W. P. Cooper, in " Susgez Archaeological CollectioDS,** vol. xxi 



MAYFIELD. 47 

pal residences were known as 1st, Upper House, the Palace ; 
2nd, Middle House, built in 1576 by William Houghton — 
this is one of the most curious timber houses in Sussex, and 
is a picturesque study for the artist ; 3rd, Lower House, be- 
longed, in the time of Henry VI., to the family of Aynscombe, 
and bore the name of Aylwins, probably from some earlier pro- 
prietor. 

Besides the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Mayfield (1573) to see 
the great merchant-prince. Sir Thomas Gresham, this old town 
has had the honour of entertaining royalty in our own times. 
In 1833 Queen (then Princess) Victoria spent a few hours in 
surveying the principal objects of this ancient place. 

The church, dedicated to St. Dunstan, together with a large 
part of the town, was burnt down in 1389. The nave, aisles, 
and choir, and also a chantry, dedicated to St. Alban, were de- 
stroyed, but the tower, which is now crowned with a shingled 
spire, retains traces of Early English architecture. The re- 
building of the fabric took place early in the 15t^ century, and 
has some very interesting features, including two piscinse and a 
hagioscope. The central window, which escaped the fire, is in 
iki.^ Jlaii^oyant style. Among the vicars may be named (1.) 
John de Wickliffe, appointed 1361, and who has been mistaken 
for the great Reformer. (2.) George Carleton, afterwards Bishop 
of LlandafiP, from whence he was ta-anslated to Chichester. (3.) 
John Maynard, of an old family of Eothei^field. One of his an- 
cestors, William Maynard, was burnt at Lewes for Protestant- 
ism in 1657.* Thisvicar, who was appointed one of the Assembly 
of Divines, lies buried in the church-yard, and his epitaph assures 
us that " he shone for 40 years the light and glory of this 
church of Mayfield.'' Within the church are numerous in- 
scriptions to the names of Baker, extending over many genera- 
tions, while other names occurring on the various monuments 
are Cole, Eoberts, Famden, Houghton, Grant, Aynscombe, 
Godfrey, Eivers, etc. There are six bells. In the church-yard 
there formerly stood, it is said, a tombstone with this re- 
markable eflfiision : — 

^ 0, reader, if that thou cantt read, 
Look down upon this stone, 
Death is the man, do what you can, 
That never spareth none 1" 

The church has lately undergone extensive repairs and restora- 
tions. 

Hadlow Down, in this parish, is a distinct ecclesiastical 

* Two Protestant martyrs were humt in the town of Mayfield itself in 1556, viz., 
John Hart, shoemaker, and Thomas Bavendale, currier. (Foxe.) 



48 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

district, and Five Ashes is a scattered hamlet, about 2^ miles 
south-west of the town. There are several considerable man- 
sions in the parish. Gratehouse, at the south-west corner of 
Mayfield, has been owned in succession by the families of 
Fuller, Apsley, Dalrymple, and Thomas (Treheme). Hadlow 
House, long the residence of the family of Day, is now that of 
John Hoskins, Esq. At Isenhurst resides Sir Frederic Sykes, 
Bart., and there are several other houses in the rural portion 
of the parish, some of which are particularized above. 

[S. A.C. Ironworks, ii, 214. iii, 241. xviii, 15. Palace of {ffoare)yii, 
221. Parish register extracts, iv, 256. May family, v, 47. John Baker, 
sheriff, v, 60. Baker family, xiii, 96. Moriey family, ironworks here, ii, 
214. v, 91. Queen Elizabeth at, V, 190. Seal of Friars of Cologne, v, 200. 
King Edward I. visits Mayfield, ii, 142. Walter Gale, the schoolmaster, 
his Journal, ix, 182. John Wilmshurst, xiii, 58. St. Dnnstan's legend, 
xiii, 221. Ibid, 227. John Edwards, Esq.; of Herrings, and his javelin 
escort, xiii, 230. Edwards family, xvi, 48. xix, 88. Isted of Morehouse, 
xiv, 102. Weston and Day, xvi, 49. Church bells, xvi, 218. Relfes of, 
xviii, 14. Ironworks at Bibleham and Hawksden, xviii, 16. Adherents of 
Jack Cade, xviii, 23. Ibid, 30. Antique sword found at, xviii, 64. Over- 
seers' accompts, xviii, 196. Civil marriages at Glynde, xix, 202.] 



MEKSTON. 

Domesday, Mersitone ; a parish in the Hundred of Box and Stockbridge ; 
Rape of Chichester ; distant three miles south east from Chichester, 
its Post-town. Railway station, Drayton, distant about two miles 
north. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 84 ; in 1861, 
79. Benefice, a Rectory valued at £265; Patron, the Lord Chan- 
cellor; Incumbent, Rev. R. F. Chambers, of Trinity College, Dublin. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1751. Acreage, 710. Chief Land- 
owner*, J. Godman, Esq., lord of the manor. 

A small flat parish. Before the Conquest, Gort held it of 
King Edward, afterwards one Oismelin was tenant of Earl 
Eoger. It descended like Hunston to Robert de Monte Alto, 
and later to John Bonville. Afterwards the Carylls had it till 
1777. The Eight Hon. Thomas Steele sold it to an ancestor of 
the present proprietor and lord of the manor. The church, of 
which an etching is given in Nibbs's churches, consists of nave, 
chancel, north aisle, and dovecot steeple. It is Early English, 
with Decorated insertions. The situation is pleasing and pictur- 
esque. A trout stream, which runs through the parish, had 
three mills at the date of Domesday. 

[S. A. C. Domesday mills, v, 271. Bell of, xvi. 218.] 



49 

MICHELHAM PRIORY. 

This house of Augustinian canons, dedicated to the Holy 
Trinity, was founded in the parish of Arlington shortly before 
the year 1229, by Gilbert de Aquila, whose ancestor, Engenulf 
de I'Aigle, came over with the Conqueror, and, " with shield 
slung at his neck, and gallantly handling his spear, struck down 
many of the English." (Roman de Rou.) The De Aquilas were 
for several generations lords of Pevensey Castle and its Rape. 
This place is supposed to have derived its name from Gislebertus 
Magnus (Anglo-Saxon micel) and ham, abode or home. The 
foundation charter confers on the canons his lordship of Michel- 
ham^ with its park, villeins, and rents ; and lands in Hailsham, 
Willingdon, the Dicker, the Broyle, and other woods in Sussex, 
with pastures for sixty beasts, and pannage for a hundred hogs, 
as also the manor of Chyngton in Seaford, where the brethren 
had afterwards a grange and chapel. A fall account of the 
charters, royal confirmations, &c., relating to thi& priory is given 
in Vol. vi. of the " Sussex Collections,'* by the Rev. G. Miles 
Cooper, To this new foundation many knightly and gentle 
families afterwards became benefactors, giving lands in " la 
Enocke " (retained in Knock-hatch, one of the ancient entrances 
to Michelham Park), Kelle, Jevington, Brighthelmston (whence 
the manor of Brighthelmston-Michelham), Ditton in Westham, 
Willingdon, Isinghurst in Mayfield, Horsted-Keynes, Hartfield, 
and Cowden. The churches of Laughton and Hailsham were 
also attached to the foundation. In 1398 the conventual build- 
ings appear to have been in bad condition, consequent upon in- 
undations of the sea on their lands, and as a means of assistance 
the churches of Alfriston and Fletching were appropriated to 
the establishment. Thenceforward the priory appears to have 
possessed a competent revenue, and the prior had forest rights 
with herbage and pannage in Wilmington, Clavregge in Waldron, 
Hawkehurste in East Hothly, the Dicker, the Broyle, Waldron, 
Bromeknoll in Ashdown Forest, and Laughton. There is but 
little history attached to this monastery, except occasional law- 
suits. In 1302,EdwardI., on one of his southern progresses, passed 
a night at the priory. At or just before the dissolution the 
brethren were eight in number. That event occurred in 1537, 
when the income was valued at £191 19s. 3d. 

The priory was erected on a rich alluvial soil, in the valley of 
the river Cuckmere, which was here made a spacious square 
moat with upwards of five acres of water, enclosing an area of 
eight acres. The situation is extremely picturesque, and the 
remains of the conventual buildings are still considerable. The 
gateway continues entire, and is one of the most interesting 

VOL. II. E 



50 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

objects in Sussex. It is an embattled tower about 50 feet in 
height, with four square-headed windows, and a wide entrance, 
with a depressed arch, apparently of the fifteenth century. The 
house itself, having always been inhabited, retains many ancient 
features. The souQi side presents a handsome elevation of great 
length, and on the north side are the remains of the chapel of 
good Early English work, though much mutilated. The crypt 
remains unchanged with its groining ribs almost intact. There 
is a small narrow passage with Early English ribs, and con- 
nected with it is a curious recess called " Isaac's Hole,'' which 
is conjectured to have been a penitentiary. After the dissolu- 
tion Michelham became a private residence and was occupied by 
the families of Marshall, Pelham, &c. It eventually became the 
property of the Sackvilles, in whose representatives it is stiU 
vested. To the lover of the picturesque and the antiquary, 
Michelham offers a treat rarely to be met with in the south of 
England. 



MIDDLETON. 



Domesday, Middeltone ; a parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Kape of 
Arundel ; distant three miles east from Bognor, its Post-town. Eail- 
TFay station, Yapton, distant about three miles north. Union, West 
Hampnett. Population in 1811, 50; in 186 J, 89. Benefice, a Rectory 
valued at £180 ; Patron, G. Hartwell Roe, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. 
Alfred Conder, M.A., of Queen's College, Cambridge. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1560. Acreage, 362. /Seat, Middleton House, Harry 
Whieldon, Esq. 

This parish has suffered greatly from the encroachments of 
the sea. Between 1292 and the date of the Nonse roll, 1341, 
forty acres of arable land had disappeared. Since then much 
greater ravages have occurred. Altogether it is estimated that 
since the Conquest more than half the parish has been absorbed. 

The church (St. Nicholas), which originally stood in the centre 
of the parish, is mentioned by Cartwright in 1832 as a small, 
low building. " The south aisle, tower, and half the chancel,'* 
he says, " with the whole south side of the churchyard, have 
been absorbed, and are now covered with shingle.'* Since that 
time the building has entirely disappeared, and a new church 
was erected in 1849. Charlotte Smith's sonnet on Middleton 
church has often been quoted. A reef of rocks, called Middle- 
ton ledge, projecting more than a mile from the shore, points out 
the foimer sea margin. 

Before the Conquest five free men held Middeltone, and after- 
wards William held it of Earl Eoger. A church is mentioned. 



MIDHURST. 51 

In 1819, John la Warr was mesne lord, and it has since vested 
in the families of St, John, Poynings, West, Bridger, Thomp- 
son, and Coote. The small tything of Elmer gave name to a 
family temp. Henry m. 

[8. A. C. Norton of, xii, 90. Church, xii, 95. xviii, 94, 100.] 



MIDHURST. 

Vulgo, Medhuat ; a parish, borough, and market-town, in the Hundred of 
Easeboume ; Rape of Chichester ; distant twelve miles north from 
Chichester, and six west from Petworth. It has a BailwajHstation 
on the Mid-Sussex line. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 1,256 ; 
in 1861, 1,340. Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £170; Pa- 
tron, the Earl of Egmont ; Incumbent, Rev. William Haydon, M. A., 
of University College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1565, 
Acreage, 671. 

Midhurst is one of the many interesting spots with which 
West Sussex abounds, and, though not rich in historical associa- 
tions, possesses much picturesque beauty, and a most salubrious 
climate. The notion tiiat it represents a Eoman station called 
Miba or Mida is utterly groundless. The name is Saxon, from 
middan and kirsty and signifies a place in the midst of woody 
ground. The town, which lies on the south bank of the Eother, 
consists principally of North Street, the rising ground known 
as Rumbold's Hill, and West Street. Midhurst is not mentioned 
in Domesday, as at that period it was probably included, both 
manorially and ecclesiastically, in Easeboume. In the reign of 
Henry I., Savaric de Bohun obtained 4J knights' fees, and held 
of the honour of Arundel. By that monarch it was erected 
into a minor barony or lordship, and was held of the King. 
Temp. Edward I., Walter, Lord Beke of Eresby, was in posses- 
sion, with remainder to the De Bohuns.* John de Bohun was 
summoned to Parliament as Baron of Midhurst, probably in re- 
ward of his services in Flanders and at Cressy, but after his 
death, in 1367, this peerage seems to have discontinued. His 
descendant, John de Bohun, died without mal e issu e, and his 
estates here and elsewhere passed, temp. Henry VII., to his two 
Saughters and co-heiresses, Mary, vvife of Sir Da vid O wen, 
natural son of Owen Tudor, grandfather of Henry Vll., and 
Ursula, wife of Eobert Southwell, of Suffolk. Upon a hiU rising 
above the Eother stood the baronial castle of the De Bohuns, 
with its chapel of St. Anne, the site being now overgrovni with 

* In 1278 the demesne is described as containlDg a messuage, two parks, and two 
mills. 

E 2 



62 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

stately trees. Froin the dedication of the chapel, the place 
supposed to have been deserted as early as the reign of Edward 
in., is still caUed St. Anne's-hill, mlgo, « Tan HiU." King Ed- 
ward I. visited Midhurst in 1286, 1299, and 1305. In the last- 
mentioned year his son, the first Prince of Wales, stayed here 
four days in order to overtake his father, whom he had offended. 
The names of Butler and Hoad, still retained at Midhurst, seem 
to represent those of Le Botiler and Ode, who are mentioned in 
the records relating to the visit of the " long-shanked king." 

Midhurst is a borough by prescription. It sent two members 
to Parliament from temp. Edward II. ; but in 1832 it was limited 
to one, and even to secure that one, it was necessary to annex 
several adjacent parishes. Two or three personages well known 
to fame have represented the borough, including Charles James 
Eox, and, more recently, Samuel Warren, Q.C., author of " Ten 
Thousand a Year,'* &c. The patronage of the borough has 
passed through the families of Eagg, Peachey, Knight, and 
the Lords Montague, to that of Smith, J. Abel Smith, M.P., 
being the present owner. There were formerly about 120 burg- 
age tenements, which entitled their respective owners to vote. 
One of the Lords Montague pulled some of them down that he 
might enlarge Cowdray Park, but had stones inscribed "a 
Burgage ^' put into the wall to indicate their sites, whereupon a 
noble duke remarked that " so low had the elective franchise 
fallen, that at Midhurst the very stones appeared as voters for 
members of Parliament !" The Knights of St. John of Jerusa- 
lem had a Commandery here, probably as successors to the 
Knights-Templars, when the latter order was dissolved by King 
•Edward 11. They had jurisdiction over a district still known as 
the Liberty of St. John, which is independent of both the 
borough and manor of Midhurst. After the Reformation it was 
granted in 1542 to Sir William Fitz-William, K.G, The liberty 
extends into several neighbouring parishes. 

The church, dedicated, according to ancient wills, to St. Mary- 
Magdalen, but popularly ascribed to St. Denis, is a chapel-of- 
ease to Easeboume. The building, which is neither very ancient 
nor imposing, is principally of the Perpendicular style of temp. 
Henry VI. It consists of nave, chancel, and two small aisles on the 
south side separated by a tower, the lower part of which appears 
to be either Norman or very Early English. The west aisle or 
chapel, built by the executors of William, Earl of Southampton, 
contained a costly monimient to the first Lord Montague and 
his two wives, but this has been removed. In 1422 Henry 
Bageley or Baggele founded in this church a brotherhood and a 
chantry for his soul. Mr. Cooper informs us that he became a 
Lollard, and was burnt in Smithfield in 1431. There is now 



MILLAND. MILTON STREET. 53 

little of interest within the building, and the existing monu- 
ments are for the families of Mellish, Cresswell, Bailey, Fisher, 
Shirley, Bridgman, Morrison, Golding, Eobson, TJpperton, &c. 
The tower contains six bells. A grammar-school was founded 
here in 1672 by Mr. Gilbert Hannam, a coverlet-maker, for " 12 
poore men's sonhes,*' who must be neither Bomanists nor Dis- 
senters. The school arose upon this foundation to be one of the 
best in the county. Three Bailys (all D.D.'s) were in succession 
head-masters ; and in the time of the first Dr. Baily the private 
scholars numbered 70. Eichard Cobden and Sir Charles Lyell 
were boys here. The building was enlarged by successive 
masters, but of late, by reason of internal mismanagement, the 
school has been disused, and, when I last visited the school- 
house, nearly every window of it had been broken by stone- 
throwers. There are several excellent residences within and 
about the town. At Todham formerly stood a mansion, contain- 
ing a chapel, built in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by George 
Denis. It contained the arms of Denis, Rose, Pelham, &c. 

W. D. Cooper, Esq., has written an account of " Midhurst : 
its Lords and its inhabitants," in Vol. xx. of the " Sussex Col- 
lections," which, though very interesting, is too long for even 
an outliiie here. 

[S. A. C. Free chapel, iii, 23. xx, 28. Bohuns, v, 178. vii, 22. Visit 
of the Society to, xx. Report, ix. Midhurst, its lords, landowners, &c. 
(Cooper), XX, 1 — 33. Owens of, v, 178. Fitz- Williams, v, 179. Monta- 
gues, V, 179. XX, 204. Poyntz of, v, 179. xv, 136. Domesday watermill 
at Todham (Qy. Coster's mill), v, 272. King Edward I. at, i, 138. xx, 
8. ii, 85, 138, 143, 152. The storm of 1703, xii, 55. xx, 204. Church, 
xii, 74. XX, 24. Bells, xvi, 218. Hearth -tax, xv, 71. Grammar school, 
XV, 73. XX, 26, 203. Parish charities, xvi, 61. River Rother, xvi, 259. 
Aylwins of, xvii, 254. xix, 93. London road to Chichester, xix, 167. St. 
Anne's Hill, xx, 175. Castle of, xx, Report. Belonged to Arundel, xx, 1. 
Families of Boteler, Puffere, Hosey, Lundenisse, Chedingfold, Home, 
and Tanner, xx, 7. Exton of, xx, 11. Brotherhood of, xx, 15,24. Denis 
of Todham, xx, 15. Families of Turner, Lewknor, and Napper, xx, 19. 
Families of Taylor and Woodecote, xx, 7. Baggele, Lollard and martyr, xx, 
24. Torton Priory lands, xx, 25. Incumbents, ibid. Liberty of St. John, 
XX, 27. Cobdens of, xvi, 51. xx, 29. Hollis of, xx, 29. Races at, xx, 227.] 



MILL AND. ( See Trotton. ) 



MILTON STEEET. 



A hamlet of Arlington, close to Wilmington, whither the 
inhabitants repair for divine worship, &c., on account of the 



54 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

remoteness of their parish church. Milton Conrt, the ancient 
manor house, has been for the last two centuries in the tenancy 
of the very old Sussex family of Ade. There were before the 
erection of the present house, remains of the old manorial 
chapel. The late Mr. Charles Ade, the well-known archaeolo- 
gist and numismatist, was father of the present tenant, Mr. J. 
S. Ade. 



MOUNTFIELD. 



Domesday, Montifelle; vulgo, Muntful; a parish in the Hnndred of 
Netherfield ; Rape of Hastings ; distant four miles north from 
Battle. Post-town, Hawkhurst. Railway station, Robertsbridge, 
distant about 2^ miles. Union, Battle. Population in 1811, 581 ; in 
1861, 585. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £180. Patron, Earl De 
laWarr; Incumbent, Rev. William Margesson, M.A., of Christ 
Church, Oxon. Date of earhest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 
3,841. Seats J Court Lodge {now Mountfield Court), Edward Chris- 
topher Egerton, Esq., M.P. ; and Rushton Park, Wm. Rushton 
Adamson, Esq. 

A well- wooded and pleasingly undulated parish. The 
manor is an infeudation of Echingham. Gode held it of the 
Confessor, but after the great Survey, Eeinbert held Montifelle 
of the Earl of Eii. Temp, Henry HI., and probably earlier, it 
belonged to the family of Sokeners. In that reign William, 
son and heir of Eoger Sokeners, granted to Benedict, son of 
Robert de Hokestepe, the lands of Westdime and Loleland in 
this manor. The Hokestepe family (whose name is now cor- 
rupted to Huckstepp) are of great antiquity in these parts. In 
23rd Edward I. William de Echingham was lord, and the manor 
continued with his descendants until 1468. From the Tyrwhitts, 
who inherited from that baronial race, it passed to the family 
of English, who about the year 1660 sold it to that of Nicholl, 
in whose possession it remained until within the last few years. 
The manor of Fame or Vinehall, anciently Fynhawe, gave name 
to the family of De Fynhawe, who ultimately wrote themselves 
Vinall, settled at Kingston near Lewes, and became extinct about 
the end of the 17th century. It afterwards belonged to the family 
of Dunk, and then to that of Davis. It has lately passed by 
sale from Mr. Tilden Smith to W. E. Adamson, Esq., by whom 
it has been re-named Eushton Park, and the mansion possesses 
every appliance of luxury, including gas made on the spot, and 
commands a fine view. Glattingham is another reputed manor. 
In a wood upon it, called the Castle Wood, remains of an ancient 
moated mansion were traceable not long since. The site, with a 



NORTH MUNDHAM. 55 

few acres of land, though locally in Mountfield, belongs to the 
parish of Echingham. The property called Walters belonged 
successively to tibe families of Hic&es, DunmoU, Mercer, and 
Durrant. 

In 1863 a remarkable discovery was made in an enclosure 
called Barn Field, in this parish. It consisted of torques, pen- 
annular rings, &c., of solid gold, which may have formed the per- 
sonal ornaments of a King or Druid of the Celtic period. This 
treasure-trove, estimated to weigh nearly thirteen pounds, and 
worth £650 sterling, was discovered by a ploughman, and sold by 
him as old brass for 6d. per pound. The purchasers, who knew 
the value, sold their nefarious prize to a refiner in London, who 
consigned it to the melting pot I This is one of the most 
serious losses that Sussex archaeology ever sustained ; but it is 
satisfactory to state that after an inquest made by the coroner 
of the district, and criminal proceedings taken at Lewes Assizes, 
the guilty parties, Thomas and Willet, were imprisoned in the 
county gaol until payment of the value of their plunder (as- 
sessed at £530) should be paid. The refiner himself ought, per- 
haps, to have gone through the fiery trial of a prosecution for 
such barbarous destruction of historical remains. Sixteen yeomen 
and labourers of this parish were concerned in Jack Cade's ris- 
ing, 1450. 

The church (All Saints) was restored some years since, chiefly 
at the cost of Earl de la Warr. It consists of a chancel, nave, 
and bell-turret, with an ancient bell inscribed to St. Augustine. 
The style is Early English. On a window in the nave are the 
arms of Echingham, and on the font is a shield with three 
escallops (2 and I), a coat which occurs at Dallington, Roberts- 
bridge, &c. There is a monument for the Hicks family. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, iii, 245. Weekes of, iron-masters, xi, 82. Church, 
xiii, 136. Gold ornaments found (Combe), xv. vii, 238. xvi, 310. River 
Brede, xv, 154. Bell, xvi, 218. Tithes to Battle, xvii, 24. Cade's ad- 
herents, xviii, 26.] 



NOKTH MUNDHAM. 



Domesday, Mundreham; &^B,nBh in the Hundred of Box and Stockbridge; 
Bape of Chichester ; distant two miles south-east from Chichester, its 
Post-town ; Railway station, Drayton, distant about 2^ miles. Union, 
West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 430 ; in 1861, 426. Benefice, 
a Vicarage, with Hunston annexed, value £645. Patron, Repre- 
sentatives of the late J. B. Fletcher, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles 
Dudding Holland, B.A., of Caius College, Cambridge. Date of 



56 HISTOBY OF SUSSEX. 

earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 1,882. Chief Landowners^ 
Miss Merricks and J. Bayton, Esq. Seats^ Runcton House, Miss 
Merricks ; Mundham House, Mrs. Hollingdale. 

A pleasant sequestered village on a fertile soil. Goda, the 
mother of Harold, held the manor of Edward the Confessor. 
After the Conquest it was part of the barony of Earl Eoger de 
Montgomeri. It had a church and 2 J mills. At a later date it 
was possessed by Robert de Monte Alto, and descended to the 
St. Johns. In more recent times the Lords La Warr, the 
Bowyers, Coverts, Balletts, and Breretons held it. Eochin- 
tone, presumed to be the same as Euncton, is also mentioned in 
Domesday. At the Dissolution, Mundham and Euncton were 
purchased by Thomas Bowyer, an eminent citizen of London, 
whose family had been connected with Sussex from the time of 
Henry IV. It has been for three generations in the family of 
Merricks. It formerly had a chapel. Leythome, in this parish, 
was one of the manors of Bishop Sherburne, who bequeathed it 
to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. Sir Thomas Bowyer, a 
great Eoyalist, rebuilt the house in stately fashion. It was 
destroyed in 1798. A younger branch of the Bowyers had the 
estate of Vinitrow in this parish. Brimfast, another small 
estate, was part of the grant of Ceadwalla to Bishop Wilfred j 
and Fishers belonged to tiie family of Merlot. 

The church (St. Stephen) consists of nave, chancel, north and 
south aisles under one roof span, and embattled west tower. It 
is a rude, picturesque building, with Norman, Early EngKsh, and 
later features. DaUaway says that the chapel of St. Mary Magda- 
lene was founded by a member of the St. John family of HalntJcer, 
before 1348, at the end of the north aisle. There are several 
curious monuments and inscriptions for the families of Bowyer, 
Cassey, Byrch, Evans, Woodyer, Covert, Newland, and Bigs. 

[S. A. 0. Bowyer of Leythome, v, 47. xvi, 60. Domesday watennills, 
V, 271. Bonvilles, lords.of, XV, 59. Lands, &c., to Boxgrove Priory, and 
church rebuilt, XV, 91, 92. Bells, xvi, 219. Topography of, xviii, 94.] 



MUNTHAM. 

A considerable estate, extending into the parishes of Findon, 
Sullington, and Washington. It belonged from early times 
(46th Edward III.) to a family of the same name, whose original 
habitat appears to have been in the parish of Itchingfield, this 
being an outlying portion of their manor. In 12th Henry VI. 
John Apsley was owner ; and in 1st Edward VI. it belonged to 
his descendant, Nicholas Apsley, whose son sold it to the Shelley 



NETHERFIELD. NEWHAVEN. 57 

family. Later it was owned by the families of Crowe, Middle- 
ton, and Montague. In 1 766 it became the property of William 
FranMand, Esq., of the baronet family of Thirkleby, co. York, 
and a descendant, through female lines, of Oliver CromwelL 
The house, which lies in a deep dell, was built by Anthony, 
Viscount Montague, as a hunting-box. Mr. Frankland (who 
had been, for those days, an adventurous spirit, having for 
some time resided at Bengal, returned, in the character of a 
tatar or messenger, and visited Bagdad, Jerusalem, the site of 
Babylon, Palmyra, and many other places) greatly enlarged the 
house. There he employed himself in mechanical pursuits, and 
made his habitation a kind of museum for organs, turning 
lathes, looms, &c., at the cost of more than £20,000. He pur- 
sued his favourite tastes at Muntham for 40 years of his life, 
and died in 1805, more than 84 years of age. He had a good 
collection of pictures illustrative of his descent from Cromwell. 



NETHERFIELD. 



A hamlet in the parish of Battle, giving name to a hundred. 
The qualifying nether I could never understand, as the place is 
seated on high ground, and from it the coast of France may be 
clearly discerned. A memorial church (St. John the Baptist), 
with parsonage-house and schools, was erected here about 1860, 
by Sarah Lady Webster, for her husband. Sir Godfrey Webster, 
Bart., of Battie Abbey. This is a great accommodation for many 
of the outiying inhabitants of Battle. The patron is the Bishop 
of Chichester, and the present Incumbent is the Kev. Thomas 
Partington, M.A. 



NEWHAVEN (otherwise Meeching). . 

A parish in the Hundred of Holmstrow ; Rape of Lewes ; distant 6^ 
nules south of Lewes, its Post-town. It has two railway stations on a 
branch of the South Coast line ; and gives name to a Union. Popula- 
tion in 1811, 765; in 1861, 1,886. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at 
£186 ; Patron and Incumbent, Rev. Ebenezer P. South wood, M.A., 
of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1553. 
Acreage, 1,217. 

What was, three hundred years since, the village of Meeching 
has, both previously and since, undergone considerable vicissi- 
tudes — greater perhaps than any other place on the Sussex 
coast. The natural embouchure of the estuary of the Ouse 
was here in early times, and during the days of Boman occupa- 
tion it was of sufficient importance to be defended by massive 



58 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

earthworks, the remains of which we see on the western side of 
the present port, and known as Castle Hill. The inroads of the 
sea greatly altered the contonr of the coast at this point, 
and for centuries the ancient bed of the river was driven, by the 
accumtilation of shingle, three miles eastward, to Seaford, which 
thus became an important haven. In the 16th century, by the 
application of art, the Ouse was made to debouch at or near its 
ancient point, and at New-Haven it has become more recently 
one of the principal harbours on our coast. Some antiquaries 
have fixed here the commencement of the great Soman via, 
known as the Ermin Street. At the present time it is one of 
the principal ports for communication between London and 
Paris, on by far the most direct route. Powerful steamers daily 
ply between it and Dieppe, and it has a considerable coasting 
traffic. With a further outlay of money and engineering skill, 
its advantages might be greatly increased, and some sanguine 
minds have fixed here "the Liverpool of the South.'' Govern- 
ment authority has been brought to bear, and a fort of enormous 
strength to mount 42 guns is in course of construction on the 
Castle Hill; the total cost, including accommodation for 300 
men, is estimated at £150,000. During the necessary excavations 
attention has been drawn to the existence of an extensive 
*' kitchen-midden " or dust heap of a Eoman camp, containing 
broken pottery, animal remains, and other relics of the past. 
The geological features of the cliff at Newhaven are very remark- 
able. It was at Newhaven that Louis-Philippe and his Queen 
landed on their escape from Prance in 1848. 

The town of Newhaven proper consists principally of one hilly 
street to the west of the Ouse ; another portion lies to the east 
of the river, and is in the parish of Denton. 

The manor of Meeching is not named in Domesday. It belonged 
to the De Warennes in the 14th century. Much later it was 
vested in the Gibbons, relatives of the historian. Prom him it 
passed to his friend, the Earl of Sheffield, father of the present 
noble proprietor. 

The church (St. Michael) stands on a hill to the west of the 
town. The western portion is recent and of no interest, but the 
tower, placed near the east end of the building, with a semi- 
circular apse is remarkable, and bears a striking resemblance to 
that of Yainville, near Jumi^ges in Normandy. It is probably 
one of the earliest Norman erections in England. On the north 
side of the church-yard is an obelisk commemorating 105 men, 
the Captain and crew of the Brazen, sloop of war, wrecked on 
the Ave rocks in this parish, in 1800. 

[8. A. C. Roman remains, v, 263. Humphrey's Inventory, vi, 190 
Church, ix, 89 {Lower), xvi, 134. Smugglers, x, 81. Battery, xi, 161. 



NEWICK. 59 

" Tipper " Ale, xi, 214. Drayton Polyolb., xv, 164. Qaakers y xyi, 87. 
Bell, xTi, 219. Jack Cade, xviii, 24. " Kitchen-Midden," xviii, 165-169 
(Lower). Boad to London, xix, 155, 163. Slate shipped from West* 
moreland, xx, 78.] 



NEWICK. 

A parish in the Hundred of Barcombe ; Rape of Lewes ; distant 4^ miles 
west from Uckfield, its Post-town and nearest Railway station. Union, 
Chailey. Population in 1811, 452 ; in 1861, 991. Benefice, a Rec- 
tory, valued at £387. Licumbent, Rev. William Powell, M.A., of 
Oriel College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. 
Acreage, 1,966. SeatSy Newick Park, James H. Sdater, Esq. ; 
Beechland, Thomas St. Leger Blaauw, Esq. ; Newick Lodge, M. T. 
Archer, Esq., &c. 

The surface of this parish is somewhat undulating, and has 
agreeably diversified scenery. There are several mineral springs 
near the Ouse, v^hich runs through the parish. Newick Place 
or Park was formerly the seat of the. Hon* George Vernon, lord 
of the manor. It is finely situated, and commands views of a 
well-wooded and fertile country. Beechland, the residence of 
the late William Henry Blaauw, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., the accom- 
plished Sussex Antiquary, is an elegant mansion. The Bectory 
is a delightful residence. All these houses are approached by 
avenues. 

Newick {norms victis) does not seem to be of great antiquity. 
It is not mentioned in Domesday, but it may have been included 
in the manor of Barcombe, then Bercham. In 9th Edward I. it 
was held by John, Earl of Warenne, Balph de Camoys, Simon 
de Petroponte, and the Prior of Lewes. In 28th Henry VI. the 
Prior of Lewes solely held Newyke. In 12th Elizabeth, it seems 
to have been a subinfeudation of the manor of Westmeston, as 
it is mentionened in the Burrell MSS. that ^^ the tenants of this 
manor have long time used to do their suit to the Lords of the 
manor of Westmeston, being six miles distant, which affirme 
their custumes to be in all things as in Westmeston.^^ In 24th 
Elizabeth, Gregory Fynes, Lord Dacre, and Lady Anne his wife, 
conveyed this manor with other lands to George Goring, Esq., 
of Lewes. Among subsequent lords have been the Boords of 
Cuckfield, Longley of London, Eelfe, the Lords Mansell, and the 
Vernon family. Lord Vernon in 1791 had it for life. It was 
afterwards sold to Sir Elijah Impey, firom whom it passed to 
James Powell, Esq. It is now the property of James Henry 
Sclater, Esq. Other manors extend into the parish. 

The church (St. Mary) consists of a chancel, nave with north 



60 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

aisle, (added about the year 1836). The south porch is in the 
Decorated style, as is also the west tower, which contains three 
beUs. The chancel, is Early English, having Decorated windows 
under earlier arches. There are a piscina, and two sedilia, all 
rich. In the nave were formerly four small Norman windows, of 
which two and a Norman door were obliterated in erecting the 
aisle ; one window still appears in the south wall. (Hussey.) 
The church contains memorials for members of the families 
of Vernon, Mansell, and others. The view from the leads of the 
tower over the Wealden district, especially towards the east, is 
remarkably fine. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 215. Seal of William de la Chapel, ii, 303- 
Prior of Lewes, ill, 41. Parish Register extracts, iv, 255. Buddesslyde? 
xiii, 48. Bells, xvi, 219. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 29. Robert Payne's 
school at East Grinstead, xx, 143.] 



NEWTIMBEK. ^ 

Domesday, Ntvemhre ; a parish in the Hundred of Poynings ; Rape of 
Lewes ; distant four miles south-west from Hassock's Gate station. 
Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint. Union, Cuckfield. Population in 1811, 
173; in 1861,162. Benefice, a Rectory ; Patron, Arthur Pitman 
Gordon, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. A. Pitman Gordon, M. A., of Christ 
Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 
1,663. Chief Landowners, Ch. H. Wm. Gordon, Esq., and Lord 
Leconfield. Seat^ Newtimber Place, C. H. W. Gordon, Esq. 

This parish lies at the northern foot of the South Downs. 
The scenery is bold and romantic, and there are many agreeable 
undulations of surface. The principal house is Newtimber Place, 
a brick building with remains of a moat. It has passed in 
modem times through the families of Osborne and Newnham, 
to that of Gordon, the present owners. Domesday Book informs 
us that Nivembre belonged to William de Warenne. Previously 
it had been the fee of Mfech (Elphick?) an allodial tenant. It 
was rated at ten hides. There were fourteen villeins, seven 
bondmen, a mill yielding 20d., and a wood for three hogs, 
Walter de Dunstanville gave Niewtymbre to his wife Dionysia. 
A lflTi de Dunstanville gave it to the monks of Lewes Priory to 
pray for the soul of his wife, but it would appear that a descendant 
of De Warenne claimed it by inheritance. Later it came to the 
great family of De Bohun. At the dissolution of the monas- 
teries it was the property of Lewes Priory, and Henry VIII. 
granted it first to the vicar-general Cromwell, and afterwards 
to Anne of Cleves. In 16th Elizabeth, Edward Darell appears 
to have died seised of the manor. From the Darells it came 



' NINFIELD. 6 1 

to the family of Bellingliam, then very influential in this dis- 
trict. Subsequent owners have been Woodcock, Cust, Osborne, 
Newnham, and Gordon, the present possessors. The paramount 
lord of Newtimbef is the Duke of Norfolk, in virtue of his 
descent from the De Warennes, the ancient lords of the Rape 
of Lewes. Another manor in this parish is Saddlescombe, for 
which see a separate article. Interments of an ancient date — 
apparently warriors, each with a weapon by his side — ^were 
discovered near the earthwork called Wolstonbury, in 1 765. 

The church (St. John the Evangelist) is small (probably of 
Early English date) and consists of a nave, chancel, and a square 
flint tower (date 1839) of rather good aspect, which boasts of one 
bell only. The building contained some years since, a few 
remains of painted glass, as also a cross, the arms of De Bohun ; 
but not having visited this church I cannot say whether they 
stiU exist. There are inscriptions to the families of Osborne, 
Newnham, &c. The Countess de Priseche, who, with her 
husband the Count, had, after the French Revolution, been 
guests of G. L. Newnham, Esq., was buried in this church in 
1793, and her coronet was suspended over her grave. 

[S. A. C. Parish register, iv, 275. Domesday mill, v, 271. Saddles- 
combe, Knights-Templars of, ix, 227. Bynefamily, xii, 111. Eomanroad, 
xiv, 178. Church bell, xvi, 219. Washbrook stream, xvi, 252.] 



NINFIELD. 

A parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of Hastings ; distant 
ten miles north-west from Hastings. Post-town, Battle. Eailwaj 
station, Battle, distant about five miles. Union, Hailsham. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 505 ; in 1861, 587. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at 
£4:61 ; Patrons, Dean and Chapter of Canterbury; Incumbent, Rev. 
George Rainier, B.A., of Brasenose College, Oxford. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1663. Acreage, 2,554. 

This parish is seated on an eminence, and commands an 
interesting view, including Battle Abbey, part of Hastings, 
Ashbumham, Crowhurst Park, part of the range of the South 
Downs, and, in the distance, Pevensey bay and Eastbourne. The 
highest elevation in the parish is Standard Hill, on which stands 
an old house with gables, and an inscription in raised letters on 
the front, as follows : — 

" God's providence is my inheritance. * Except the Lord build the 
house, they labour in vain that build it. Here we have (1659) no abidence." 

" The origin of this inscription is supposed to be, that a former pro- 
prietor was displeased with his heir, and determined to disinherit him, 



62 HISTORY OP SUSSEX. 

but the heir unexpectedly recovering possession of his inheritance, inscribed 
these words on his dwelling for a memorial." (Hastings Past and Present.) 

In a subsidy roll of 1327 for the parish occurs the name of 
Stephen atte Standard. 

The Domesday account of this place is by no means clear, and 
it is impossible to ascertain whether it or the adjacent vill of 
Netherfield is intended. The manor belonged to the Earls of 
Eu, during the ascendancy of that family in the Eape ; but after 
their forfeiture it passed to the family of Hastings. In 1295 
the families of Cherche and Brun appear as the principal land- 
owners. 

The church (St. Mary) comprises chancel and nave, and a 
large wooden bell-turret over the west end of the latter. It 
contains only one bell, dedicated to St. Martin, with an Old 
English inscription. The architecture is partly Early English 
and partly Decorated. There is little of interest in the church. 
There are memorials to the names of Luxford of Moorhall, in 
this parish, Dunk, Bowyer, Clark, and Fuller. At the south- 
east comer of the church-yard is a grand old yew tree. 

The parish register contains the following rather curious entry : "Anno 
Domini, 1669, June 23, was buried Joseph Tysehurst, a boy (son of the 
late William Tysehurst) who on Witsunday morning fell from climbing 
a magpy's nest, and was smothered in a pond of mud, his heels sticking 
upright." 

More-hall was for several generations the estate of a branch 
of the ancient family of Wenham of Wenham Hall, in Suffolk, 
who continued to hold it down to the latter half of the seven- 
teenth century* 

[8. A. C. Chapel of, xiii, 135, 144. Weekes of, xiv, 116. Asten stream, 
XV, 156. Bell, xvi, 219. Lands to Battle Abbey, xvii, 43. Notes of and 
its registers {Sharpens MSS.)y xvii, 57. Families of Brown, Milward, and 
Ingram, xvii, 58, 59. Inundation, xvii, 59. Estons of, xvii, 130.] 



NORTHETE (See with HIDNET). 



NORTHIAM. 

Vulgo, Norgem ; a parish in the Hundred of Staple, bounded on the north 
by the river Bother, which separates it from Kent ; Rape of Hast- 
ings ; distant eight miles north-west from Rye ; Post-town, Stw)le- 
^ hurst. Union, Rye. Population in 1811, 1,114 ; in 1861 1 260. 



^ 



I » 



NORTHIAM. 63 

Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £800. The patronage lias long been 
in the family of Lord ; Incumbent, Rev. John Octavius Lord, M.A. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 8,486. Seat, 
Brickwall, Thomas Frewen, Esq. 

** O rare Norgem I thoa dost far exceed 
Beckley, Peasmarsh, Udlmore, and Brede." 

This ancient distich has relation to the superior importance 
of this parish to some of its neighbours. Without detracting 
from the merits of the other four, we may certainly accord high 
praise to this, for its truly rural and delightful aspect, vdth its 
pleasing admixture of arable, pasture, meadows, woods, and 
hop-gardens. In Domesday the manor is called simply Hiham, 
the prefix North having probably been applied in order to dis- 
tinguish it from the neighbouring places called Higham, in 
Salehurst, and Petit Higham, the site of New Winchelsea. The 
manor belonged, in Saxon times, to Earl Godwin, and after- 
wards to the Earl of Eu in person. It contained two hides, 
and was valued at £6. " It had been devastated" — probably by 
an overflow of the Bother, which is its northern boundary. In 
24th Edward HI. William Fiennes was lord, and in 9th Edward 
IV. Richard F., Lord Dacre, held it with Ewhurst, late the posses- 
sions of John Brenchley and Thomas Ashbumham, and before 
of Henry Shamden and Richard Codyng, by the service of 1^ 
knight's fee. The next recorded holder of the manor is Nicholas 
Tufton, who died in 1539, and by his will directed his body to 
be buried in the church of Northiam, before the altar of St. 
Nicholas, with a tombstone, and his picture, and a writing 
thereon. The direction was obeyed, but the brass has been torn 
oflF in modem times, though it is engraved in Grose, vol. i. 
His son, John Tufton, succeeded him in the manor. The manor 
of Tuffcon, or Toketon, gave name to the important family of 
De Toketon, who resided in Northiam for several centuries, and 
became ancestors of the Tuffcons, Earls of Thanet. Their abode, 
called Tufton Place, is now represented by a farm-house. Among 
the Brickwall evidences is a deed executed at Northiam in 
1362, to which Simon de Toketon was a witness. About the 
end of the last century the then Lord Thanet sold it to the 
late Edward Jeremiah Curteis, Esq., whose grandson, Herbert 
Mascall Curteis, Esq., sold it, a few years since, to Lord Harry 
Vane, now Duke of Cleveland. The family of Tufton ceased to 
be resident here from the sixteenth century, when they removed 
to Hothfield, in Kent. Dixter, another manor, which has long 
been in the Springett family, gave name to the De Dixtemes at 
an early date. Adam and William De Dixterne are mentioned 
in a deed of 1296, and John Dykesterne was vicar of Eye in 



64 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

1306.* The manor seems to have passed to the widely-sptead 
Sussex family of Tregoz, for in 1330 the King granted to Thomas 
Tregoz license to fortify his manse here with a wall of stone and 
lime, and to creoelate the same. To this family it would appear 
that that of Elrington succeeded, as in 1479 John Elryngton, 
Knight, obtained a similar license for Dixtheme and TJdey- 
mere. This Sir John Elryngton was Keeper of the Wardrobe to 
Edward IV., Treasurer of the Household to Edward V., and 
Constable of Windsor Castle. He married Margaret, daughter 
and co-heiress of Thomas Echingham. Some remains of the 
ancient manor-house exist. It was a timber-framed edifice ; 
one half only is now standing. The architectural details are 
strictly medieval, and the hall contains some rudely carved ar- 
morials on the trusses which support the roof, but they have 
not been critically examined. An antique house hard by bears 
the date of 1583, and another at Hole farm has some curious 
details. Well-house, on the Frewen estate, is another timbered 
building of considerable antiquity, with a hall open to the roof. 
A picturesque farm-house, called Carriers, on the Brickwall 
estate, is also ancient, and is, according to tradition, the birth- 
place of Archbishop Frewen (See post). On the village-green, 
near the church-yard, is a hollow tree, 24 feet in circumference, 
called Queen Elizabeth's Oak, from the circumstance that on 
August 11, 1573, the maiden queen, en route from Mr. Guldeford's, 
at Hempstead, to the town of Rye, dined under this tree, the 
viands being furnished by Mr. George Bishopp, who dwelt 
opposite the oak in the antique timbered house still existing, 
which was the abode of his family for many generations. During 
the repast her Majesty changed her shoes, and the pair she 
took off, having been begged from her attendants, are still 
preserved at Brickwall. The tradition of the Queen's having 
dined at Northiam is ftdly confirmed by the book of the 
Comptroller of Her Majesty's household of the date, which also 
states that she again dined at Northiam on her return journey 
on the 14th August following. 

Brickwall House ranks amongst the most interesting mansions 
of East Sussex. It was originally the residence of the Whites, 
a family long connected with Eye and Winchelsea. John White 
purchased the estate in 1492. Towards the end of Elizabeth, 
William White succeeded, and married Mary, sister of Sir 
Thomas Sackville, K.B., of Sedlescombe. He put a new three- 
gabled front to the mansion. At his death the property was 
sold for the benefit of three daughters and co-heiresses. The 
purchaser (in 1666) was Stephen Frewen, Alderman of London. 

♦ The family of Dexter still exists in East Sussex. 



NORTHIAM. 65 

The family of Frewen, doubtless of Saxon origin, were long 
established in Worcestershire. Eichard Frewen, of Earl's 
Croome in that county, purchased the advowson of Northiam, 
and presented his son John to the living in 1683. John IVewen 
was a learned and pious Puritan divine of high standing, and 
author of several theological works. He continued Rector here 
till his death in 1628. He was father of Accepted Frewen, the 
well-known Archbishop of York ; Thankfcd, Secretary to Lord- 
Keeper Coventry ; and Stephen, Alderman of London, who died 
at Brickwall in 1679. His estates passed to his son, Thomas 
Frewen, M.P. for Eye, from 1679 to 1699. Brickwall descended, 
after the death of his widow, to Sir Edward Frewen, his son 
by his first wife. About 1686, having travelled on the Continent, 
he returned hither, and built the banqueting-room at Brickwall 
in the Louis-Quatorze style, and employed French artists to 
execute the ceilings of this, and the grand staircase, at an outlay 
of £800. The hall was intended for the entertainment of the 
Corporation of Eye, of which borough the family held the 
patronage. After Sir Edward's grandson's death, the mansion 
was neglected by the family, who preferred living at their seats 
in Yorkshire or Leicestershire; but the present owner, who 
came to reside in 1830, restored it to nearly its former state. 
There is a valuable collection of pictures, including works by C. 
Jansen, Holbein, Lely, &c. Among the Frewen portraits are 
John Frewen, the Puritan, by Mark Gerard, 1627, very quaint 
and characteristic. Archbishop Frewen, Alderman Frewen, 
Accepted Frewen, Archbishop of York, and numerous others by 
eminent painters. The gardens are preserved in the old Dutch 
taste. A fine avenue of oaks, said to have been planted from 
acorns from the Queen's Oak, is now represented by a single 
fine tree. The north front is a good specimen of the timbered 
house, but the other three sides were cased with brick by Sir 
Edward Frewen. 

The church (of which Hussey gives a view) forms a striking 
pile. The old portions consist of nave with aisles, and square 
battlemented tower, more than half of which is Norman, with 
small stone spire, unique in this district. There are traces of 
Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular in the building. 
The old chancel, which contained three sedilia and a piscina, 
was removed to make way for a larger one in 1837, 8, and an 
addition was also made on the north side. Li 1846, Thomas 
Frewen, Esq., erected a handsome Mausoleum * over the vaults 
containing the remains of his ancestors. It is in the Tudor 
style, from designs by Smirke. On each wall are nine shields, 

* By a special ^* faculty" this Mausoleum is exempt from all ecclesiastical jurisdiction. 
VOL. II. F 



6 6 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

■with impalements and qnarterings, shewing the Frewen alK- 
ances. The armorial window and the roof decorations are by 
Willement, and the carvings both in wood and stone were 
wrought by a self-taught artist of Eye. The Frewen monu- 
ments, formerly in the chancel, were removed into this mauso- 
leum, and soon after its erection a beautiful memorial, with a 
bust by Behnes, was erected for Anne, wife of Thomas Frewen, 
Esq., who died in 1844. The other memorials in the church 
are principally to the memory of members of the Frewen 
family, four of whom were rectors here. The only brass 
now remaining (see that of Nicholas Tufbon, ante) is a 
priest in canonicals, ^tjbtxt iSmfOttJ, " sumtyme person of this 
churche," 1518. In the church-yard there is a yew-tree, 
probably older than any part of the church. The " Church- 
house," near the building, is supposed to be of the date of Henry 
Vm., and is in the form of the letter H. Here lived and died 
the Puritan, John Frewen, who had purchased it in 1592, and 
several of his successors, previously to their removal to Brick- 
wall. For memoirs of John Frewen, and several members of 
his remarkable family, see " Worthies of Sussex." 

Considering the numerous points of interest which this parish 
possesses, we may well repeat the apostrophe— 

0, rare Nor gem ! 

[S. A. C. Frewens, iv, 24. xiv, xii, xvi, 302. Visit of Queen Elizabeth, 
V, 190. Tradesmen's Tokens, x, 208. Weekes of, xi, 82. Dixter or Dix- 
them, xiii, 112, 117, 270. Tregoz of, xiii, 112. Horner in, xiii, 140. 
Tufton family, xiii, 140. xiv, 100. xx, 65. White family, xvi, 43. Church 
bells, xvi, 219. Brickwall, xvi, 302. xix, 166. Iron-works, xviii, 15. 
Cade's insurrection, xviii, 27. London-road, xix, 166. Springett of, xx, 46.] 



NORTH-CHAPEL. 



A parish in the Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Rape of Arundel ;' distant 
five miles from Petworth, its Post-town and Railway station. Union, 
Midhurst. Population in 1811, 634; in 1861, 785 ; Benefice, a 
Rectory, valued at £284 ; Patron, Lord Leconfield ; Incumbent, 
Rev. Robert Witherby, M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1716. Acreage, 3,854. Chief 
Landowners^ Lord Leconfield, and George Baker, Esq. 

North-Chapol was dismembered from Petworth by Act of 
Parliament, in 1693. The village is on the old road from Lon- 
don to Petworth, and, as its name implies, it was formerly a 
chapelry only of Petworth, whence its name. 

The manor was originally a portion of the Honour of Pet- 
worth. The land belongs, principally, to Lord Leconfield. 



NUTBOURNE. NUTHURST. 67 

The clrarch stands on an elevation, and is dedicated, accord- 
ing to Mr. Gibbon, to St. John Baptist, though others say to 
St. Michael. The building formerly had a nave or pace only, 
with a tower at the west end with a shingled covering, and the 
whole structure is described by DaUaway, as of " coarse ancient 
architecture,^' but additions have been subsequently made. The 
Rev. Colin Milne, LL.D., held the rectory in the last century. 
He was author of a Botanical Dictionary published in 1770, and 
other works. There are three bells of modem date. Ironworks 
formerly existed here. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 215. iii, 245. xviii, 16. Bells, xvi, 205. River 
Arun, xvi, 256, London road to Chichester, xix,* 167.] 



NUTBOURNE (See Pulborough). 



NUTHUEST. 

A parish in the Hundred* of Singlecross ; Rape of Bramber ; distant 
four milessouth from Horsham station ; Post-town and Union, Hor- 
sham. Population in 1811, 539 ; in 1861, 767. Benefice, a Rectory, 
valued at £480 ; Patron, the Bishop of London ; Incumbent, Rev. 
John Ommaney McCarogher, M.A., of Magdalen College, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1562. Acreage, 3,260. Chief Land- 
ovmerSy J. T. Nelthorpe, Esq., Walter Burrell, Esq., and Major John 
Aldridge. SeatSf Nuthurst Lodge, J. Tuder Nelthorpe, Esq. ; Swallow- 
field, S. H. Bigg, Esq. 

This parish, which lies to the west of St. Leonard's Forest, 
is picturesque and well-wooded. Mr. Nelthorpe's residence, 
Nuthurst Lodge, commands a very extensive view over the 
Weald, reaching to the South Downs ; and the sea is occasionally 
visible. Highurst, containing about 100 acres, is part of this 
parish, though it is insulated within the neighbouring parish of 
Cowfold. The manors of Shortsfield and Nutham extend over 
the greater part of the parish. 

The patronage of the church formerly belonged tx) the abbey 
of Fecamp in Normandy. About the year 1230, a dispute arose 
between the Bishop of Chichester and the monastery of Fecamp, 
respecting the jurisdiction of the former over the canons and 
clerks of Steyning, and an award was made that Steyning should 
be free from the ordinary jurisdiction of the Bishop ; but in 
order that the church of Chichester might not suffer detriment, 
all rights of advowson, &c., which had belonged to Fecamp 
abbey in Notehurst, Bury, and Slynfold, should be handed over 
to the bishop and his successors. 

F 2 



68 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

The clmrcli (St. Andrew), consists of tower, nave, and chan- 
cel, the last of which has in its windows some remains of ancient 
painted glass. The style is Decorated, and the tower is de- 
scribed by Cartwright as a low one, " at the west end of the 
building, formed of large blocks of timber like the tower at 
Itchin^eld." It has a shingled spire. The porch is interesting 
for its ornamented spandrels. There are three l>ells. The 
building has memorials for the names of Nelthorpe, Tuder, 
Aldridge, &c. A brass was discovered about the year 1856. It 
consisted of a plate embedded in Sussex marble, and there were in- 
dents of a chance and paten. It commemorates Cf)Oma0 JfXtn^vtp 
rector of the church, who died 1486. ^ 

George Edgeley, rector of this church, was made D.D. m 
1643. He is described in the ChanceUor's letter as a prebendary 
of Chichester and rector of Nuthurst, a Senior of the University 
of Cambridge, a grave and orthodox divine — a " person that 
hath expressed his loyalty by his active services and passive 
sufferings for the defence of his Majesty's person, religion, and 
laws." (See Walker's " Sufferings of the Clergy.") 

[S. A. C. Brass in church, ix, 370. Church, xii, 108. Patching of, 
xvi, 49. Sedgwick Lodge, xvi. 70. George Foxe and the Sussex Quakers, 
xvi, 70, 71. Church bells, xvi, 219. MiUeof, xvii, 112. Alewyne of, xvii, 
254. Jack Cade's adherents here, xviii, 23, 38. Pierce of, xix, 95.] 

NUTLET. 

A pleasant hamlet of the parish of Maresfield, three miles 
north of the parish church. It is a small village and ecclesias- 
tical district. A smaU church (St. James), in the Early English 
style, -was built in 1848, and consists of a chancel and nave, 
with bell-turret. The living is a Perpetual curacy, value £125, 
in the gift of the Rector of Maresfield. Incumbent the Rev. 
William Albert Smallpiece, M.A. The name is derived from 
the Anglo-Saxon hnuty a nut, and leaff, indicating a part of the 
forest of Ashdown comparatively open, but abounding with hazel. 
When the forest possessed a hunting-seat, under the earlier Ed- 
wards and John of Gaunt, Nutley appears to have been a small 
viU, then called Notley or Notlye. It possessed a chapel known as 
the free chapel of Maresfield or Notley. The great Reformer 
Wycliffe is said to have performed divine offices here, when under 
the patronage of John of Gaunt. Before 1541 the chapel was 
disused. The site was about half a mile west of the present 
village, near a wood still called chapel wood. The font was res- 
cued, by the Rev. E. Turner, from a cow-yard, and is in his 
possession. 

[S. A. C. For references, see under Mare^eld.'] 



OFFHAM. ORE. 69 

OFFHAM. 

A considerable hamlet of Hamsey, about two miles from 
Lewes, on the ancient Ermin Street and the old London road. 
A great portion of the population of the parish reside 
here ; and by the beneficence of the late Sir Henry ShiflEher, 
Bart, of Coombe, and other members of his family, a 
church (St. Peter) was erected, to replace the old edifice, 
which is rather remote and inconvenient of access. It is 
built in a style somewhat French, and consists of a nave, 
tower, with shingled spire, eastward, and an apsidal chancel 
beyond. It is beautifully situated on a rising ground, and 
forms from every point of view an elegant adjunct to the 
landscape. This hamlet is popularly supposed to derive its 
name from its being an "off," or outlying place; but the old 
orthographies, Wougham, Woffam, Okeham, &c., do not support 
that etymology. OfiPham chalk-pits afford a good study for the 
geologist ; and it is worth recording that the first railway con- 
structed in Sussex connects these pits with a branch of the 
river Ouse for the conveyance of chalk and lime. It is a very 
steep inclirie, and was planned about the beginning of this cen- 
tury by Mr. Cater Band, a schoolmaster of Lewes. 



OFFHAM. 
A hamlet of South Stoke near Arundel. 



ORE. 

A parish in the Hundred of Baldslow ; Rape of Hastings ; distant nearly 
two miles north from Hastings, its Post-town and Railway station. 
Union, Hastings. Population in 1811, 331 ; in 1861, 1,636. Bene- 
fice, a Rectory, valued at £575 ; Incumbent, Rev. William Twiss 
Tumer,M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1558. Acreage, 2,150. Seats, Ore Place, Thomas Spalding, 
Esq. ; Coghurst, C. Hay Frewen, Esq., M.P. ; Woodlands, Thomas 
Frewen, Esq. ; and many elegant villa residences. 

This parish, which may now be considered a fashionable 
suburb of Hastings, is remarkable for its bold undulations, steep 
roads, commanding scenery — overlooking the town and the Eng- 
lish Channel — and a charming mixture of woodland and pasture. 
In the reign of Henry III., the manor was possessed by a family 
of the same name, and at a later period Richard Halle, or Hawley, 
originally of Halland, in East Hothly, married the heiress, 
Anne, daughter of John Ore. Their descendants possessed it 



70 HISTORY OP SUSSEX. 

for about six generations, when it passed to the family of Crispe. 
From 1686 to 1768 it belonged to the Carylls ; afterwards, suc- 
cessively, to General Murray, the hero of Quebec, to W. L^as 
ShadweU (1821), and to Sir Howard Elphinstone, Bart. The 
mansion of Ore Place is .modem. There seems no reasonable 
ground for the tradition that it stands on the site of a house 
builfc by John of Gaunt, which afterwards became a monastic 
establishment. Indeed the continuous occupation, by the Ores 
and Hawleys, from the 13th to the 17th century, almost pre- 
cludes the possibility of such erection and subsequent use. 

Coghurst Hall is a commodious mansion in a fine well-wooded 
park, the seat of Charles Hay Prewen, Esq., M.P. It belonged, in 
1712, to the family of Fletcher, whose heiress conveyed it in 
marriage to the Dynes of Westfield. Mary Fletcher Dyne, their 
heiress, married in the 18th century Musgrave Brisco, Esq., of 
Wakefield and Eipon, and so carried this, and other good lands, 
to that family. The Hastings union-house and public cemetery 
are both in this parish. 

The church (St. Helen) is an unpretending edifice of nave, 
chancel, south aisle, added in 1821, and low square tower. In 
the nave are, or lately were, several gravestones, including a 
I^XdLM for a man and his wife (arms and inscription removed), the 
indent of another brass (probably of the Ore or Hawley family), 
and two inscriptions for the Crispe family, with their arms. 
There are also monuments for General Murray (1794) and his 
relatives, and for members of the Whitears, Cowells, Norths, and 
others. Por the use of the parishioners living on the borders of 
Pairlight, a handsome church, called Christ Church, was erected 
in 1859. 

[S. A. 0. Kelfe of, xiv, 85. Crispe of, xvi, 47. Bell, xvi, 219. Tithes 
to Battle Abbey, xvii, 55. Encaustic tiles, xviii, 66. Sir Richard de Ore, 
Knight, xix, 53. Worked flints, xix, 53 {Smart). Hays of, xx, 65.] 



OTHAM ABBEY. 



This ancient monastic establishment was founded in the 
parish of Hailsham for monks of the Premonstratensian order, 
by Ealph de Dene, a member of a Norman family resident at 
West Dean orientalise in the latter half of the 12th century. 
Prom the charter of foundation, it appears that a chapel had 
previously existed here, and had been served by certain monks 
of the order. The abbey of Otteham or Hotteham was dedi- 
cated to St. Laurence, and was endowed with lands and tene- 
ments in Sussex. Among the subsequent benefactors to the 
house were the families of De Aquila, De Erode (of the * Broad ' 



OVING. 71 

in HelKngly), De Herst, De la Water, De St. Leger, &c. The 
place chosen for the monastery was an unfortunate one— 
the soil was damp and unproductive ; wherefore the brethren 
(" propter magnas et intolerabiles inedias loci de Otteham'') be- 
sought Ela de Sackville, the founder's daughter, to translate 
them to a more salubrious spot, which was done, and Bajham 
was the place fixed on. (See Bayham.) Previously one of the 
De Erodes had invited the monks to settle at his church of Hel- 
lingly, of which Hailsham was then a chapel. From the time 
of the transfer to Bayham, Otteham remained as a grange, with 
its chapel and a ministering brother or two, with a lamp burn- 
ing night and day before St. Laurence's altar. Mention is 
made of an image of that saint in gold, sUver, and wax, and 
tithes were payable from many lands for the sustentation of the 
chapel. A paper by the Eev. G. Miles Cooper, in Vol. v. of 
the "Sussex Collections,'* gives many interesting particulars 
of the benefactors to the establishment, and the presumed sites 
of its possessions. 

Very little remains to attest the existence of Otteham Abbey, 
except the ancient and much dilapidated chapel, which has 
features of the 13th century, and stifl possesses a battered sedile 
and piscina. It is adjacent to Otham farm-house, and used as a 
stable. What a falling off from St. Laurence in silver, gold, 
and wax, to a home for cart-horses ! 

This district of Hailsham is called Otham Quarter. 



OVING. 

Vulgo, Ooving ; a parish in the Hundred of Box and Stockbridge ; Eape 
of Chichester ; distant three miles east from Chichester, its Post- 
town. Eailway station, Drayton. Union, West Hampnett. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 476 ; in 1861, 949. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at 
£350 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Alex. 
Peters Birrell, M.A., of Sidney- Sussex College, Cambridge. Pate of 
earliest Parish Register, 1561. Acreage, 2,946. Chief Landowners^ 
Rev. George Henry Woods, of Shopwyke, and Lord Leconfield. 

This parish is very flat and fertile, being chiefly good 
arable land. Shopyryke House, the residence of the Eev. G. H. 
"Woods, is one of the most elegant mansions in West Sussex. 
Shopwyke, though not strictly a tything or hamlet, is a very 
interesting place. The manor is presumed to have been a part 
of the manor of Aldingbourne, vrhich belonged to the see of 
Selsey, and a prebend was here formed for Chichester Cathedral. 
The manor-house and the corpus of the prebend belong to the 
Precentor of Chichester. The Prebendal-house was formerly 



72 HISTORY OF SUSSEX 

the residence of the old family of Elson, who possessed consider- 
able property in this district. Shopwyke, or Shopwyke-Eagle, 
is an ancient manor in this parish, and Colworth and Woodhome 
are prebendal manors. Groves and Drayton formerly be- 
longed to the Priory of Boxgrove. After the Dissolution, 
Drayton came into the possession of the Chatfields of Ditchling 
and Treyford. The Chatfields were succeeded by the Elsons 
before mentioned. . 

The church appears to have been originally Early English, 
but there are insertions of a much later date, and transepts 
have been added. There are inscriptions to the names of 
Woodyer, Elson, Walter, Teness, and Green.*^ 

The Eev. Thomas Agar HoUand, formerly vicar of Oving, 
having in his mind the name of his parish and that of Shopwyke, 
which is reasonably derived from the Anglo-Saxon sceap and wic^ 
" the village of sheep,'* wrote the following elegant epigram : — 

lu OviNIAM. 

" Pasce meas pecndas, ter, Petro dixit lesus, 
Quo velut in scopulo, condidit Ipse Domum : 
Sic mihi, (num sperem ?) praebetur Ovinia curse, 
In coeloB, agni, quin ut agantur oves." 
" T. A. H., minister of Oving, 1828." 

[S. A. 0. Church, xii, 75. Groves belonged to Boxgrove Priory, xv, 
119. BeUs, xvi, 219.] 



OVINGDEAN. 



Domesday, Hovingedene ; a parish in the Hundred of Younsmere ; Bape 
of Lewes ; distant three miles from Brighton, its Post-town and Rail- 
way station. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 75 ; in 1861, 
121. Benefice, a Bectory, valued at £335 ; Incumbent, Rev. Alfred 
Stead, M. A., of Caius College, Cambridge, who is also Patron. Date 
of 'earliest Parish Register, 1700. Acreage, 1,618. Chief Land- 
owner^ Representatives of the late Charles Beard, Esq. Seat^ Oving- 
dean House, E. Macnaughton, Esq. 

This parish lies wholly on the South Downs, and the village 
is a secluded spot. AJnod held the manor of the Confessor, as 
allodial tenant ; after the Conquest, Godfrey held it of De 
Warenne. The Lady Eddeva also held three hides of Edward. 
The Domesday account is particularly circumstantial. There 
were a small church and four dependents. Walter de Pierpoint 
appears to have been the lord temp. Henry VI., and George 
Goring temp. Edward VI. About the end of the sixteenth cen- 

«v.* ^ ui* ^"®?°,»a^ ^reen gave £2,000 for the support of three poor widows. This 
cnantable lady's monument is placed in the north transept. 



PAaHAM. 73 

tury the manor belonged to the family of Gteere, from whom it 
descended to Elizabeth Newton, wife of the late W. C. Mabbott, 
Esq., of Southover. The manor house, now much modernized, 
was occupied in 1651 by Mr. Maunsell, and an unfounded tradi- 
tion asserts that Charles II., afber his flight from the battle 
of Worcester, took shelter here while awaiting the means of 
escape to France. This presumed incident is the conspicuous 
feature of Mr. Harrison Ainsworth's pleasant noyel called 
*^ Ovingdean Grange.*' The Eev. Mr. Morgan, in a letter ad- 
dressed to Sir William Burrell, in 1780, describes the village as 
consisting of one farm-house, three cottages, and a mean, 
thatched parsonage-house. He adds, that ^^ when the Geeres 
lived at Ovingdean farm, Charles II. lay concealed here till he 
had an'opportunity of embarking at Brighton for France. His 
appearance had such an effect upon the good woman of the house 
that her next child (a very fine boy) was said to be the picture 
of the King!'* (Burrell MS., 6684.) How this myth of the" mut- 
ton-eating king" having visited Ovingdean arose, it is impossible 
to say, for he certainly came no nearer the village than Brighton, 
nearly three miles distant. There would appear, however, to 
be some slight association of the Geere fanuly with the King's 
escape, as tiieir descendants possessed, a few years since, some 
relics, which were always understood to have been presented 
by the King. Ovingdean House was formerly the seat of the 
Kemp family. 

The church has chancel, nave, and west tower, with features 
of the Norman, Early EngUsh, and Decorated styles. (Hussey.) 
Some more recent authorities consider a few of the features un- 
questionably of Saxon date. Mr. Gordon M. Hills speaks of it 
as an " almost perfect Saxon church.*' (Journal of the British 
Archaeological Association, 1867, p. 8.) There are memorials 
for the names of Cooper of Lewes, Lane, Kemp, Marshall, Pal- 
liser, &c. 

[S. A. 0. Pierpoint, xi, 55. Goring, xi, 66. Quaint aoconnt of Oving- 
dean, xiii, 307. Bell, xvi, 219.] 



PAGHAM. 

A parish in the Hundred of Aldwick ; Rape of Chichester; distant four 
miles south-west from Bognor ; Post-town, Chichester ; Union, West 
Hampnett. Population in 1811, 847 ; in 1861, 988. Benefice, a 
Vicarage, valued at £300 ; Patron, Archbishop of Canterbury ; In- 
cumbent, Rev. Ralph Barker, B.A., of St. Peter's College, Cam« 
bridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1707. Acreage, 4,376. 

This sea-coast parish is very fertile, and produces abundance 



74 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

of wheat. Its village proper is close to the little inlet of the 
Channel called Pagham Harbour, an estuary said to have been 
formed by a sudden irruption of the sea about the beginning of 
the fourteenth century, which, according to the Nonse Roll, de- 
vastated 2,700 acres of land. Only small craft can enter this 
little port. Pagham Creek is a famous resort for wild fowl, 
several of great rarity, and in severe winters, as Mr. A. E. Knox 
informs us, flocks of wild swans are always to be seen and heard 
here. The manor was granted by Ceadwalla, King of the South 
Saxons, to St. Wilfred, and continued, with the advowson, in 
episcopal possession through many centuries. It was a very 
important estate, and was held, both before and after the Con- 
quest, by thie Archbishops of Canterbury, who made it their 
occasional residence, and constituted it a Deanery, including all 
the " Peculiars'' in West Sussex. In the reign of the Confessor 
the manor was rated at 50 hides, and afterwards at 34. A 
curious custom existed as to pig breeding. For herbage every 
seventh pig was payable to the lord, and the Eecord adds " that 
this custom was established throughout the whole county of 
Sussex," but I have not found an instance of it anywhere else. 
A mill, perhaps on the site of what is now the large tide-mill at 
Sidlesham, is mentioned, as also a church, together with another 
church at Chichester, which must be that of All Saints in the 
Pallant in that city, still in the gift of the Archbishop. The 
parish is subdivided into five tythings — ^Nytimber-with-Pagham, 
Crimsham, South Mundham, Aldwicke, and Seven-households. 
Aldwicke was a valuable possession, and gave name to the sur- 
rounding hundred. In this hamlet a miniature watering-place 
has sprung up. It contaius several excellent residences, parti- 
cularly Aldwick House, the property of B. Bond CabbeU, Esq., 
F.S.A. A small chapel-of-ease was built here a few years since 
by the Rev. Edward Houghton Johnson, M.A. 

The parish church (said to be St. Thomas h Becket) is good 
Early English, though much injured by modem repairs. It was 
probably built by an archbishop soon after Thomas's canoniza- 
tion. It had an altar of St. Nycolas, and three brotherhoods 
of St. Andrew, St. Matthew, and the Holyrood. It consists of 
chancel, nave, with aisles, a transept, and tower, with a low, 
shingled spire. There are five bells. At the east end of the 
north aisle was a chantry, founded in 1383 by John Bowrere (the 
modem Borrer) and Alice, his wife. Eichard Hede, the last 
incumbent, received a pension of £5. In Pope Nicholas' taxa- 
tion, 1291, the church of Pagham " cum capella'' is mentioned. 
This chapel was dedicated to St. Andrew, and some remains of 
it are mentioned by Dallaway as existing in his time. On a 
slab in the chancel of the church there are remains of a Lombardic 



PARHAM. 75 

inscription for S)8tmin. . . . " Templi Eector fiiit hujus/' 
The relics of the body of this ancient priest, in his canonicals, 
in a stone cofl&n, were brought to light some years ago on the 
removal of the slab. There are other memorials for tibe names 
of Barfoote, Darling, Pechell (of the baronet's family), Peachey, 
and Godman, and one for Edmunde Darell, Esqnior, " Gierke of 
the Caterie" to Queen Elizabeth, 1579. The Darells were a 
branch of the Calehill and Scotney family, and were of Bowley, 
or Boley, in this parish. Remains of the archiepiscopal palace 
are visible to the south-east of the church, 

Dixon gives many interesting particulars as to the geology of 
this andtihe adjacent parishes. Messrs. Dixon, 0. Boach Smith, 
and other nuihismatical writers have printed notices of the 
British and Roman coins found on this part of the Sussex coast. 

[S. A. C. Coins, Boman and British, i, 29. v, 206. Domesday mill, r, 
271. Visit of King John, i, 134. Bowrers of, xi, 80. Atte-Mores of 
Chilvercroft, xii, 37. Church, xii, 75. Humphrey the Hermit, xii, 134. 
Queen Elizabeth patroness of living, xiii, 48. Merchant guild, xv, 176. 
Bells, xvi, 219 Harbour, xyi, 260. Landing of the 8axons, xyiii, 182. 
Blindon, xix, 126.] 



PAKHAM. 

Domesday, Perham ; a parish in the Hundred of West Easewrith ; Rape 
of Arundel ; distant &ye miles south-west from Pulborough station, 
ten miles south-east from Petworth, and sik north-east from Arundel. 
Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint. Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 
58 ; in 1861, 71. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £100, in the gift of 
Lord de la Zouch ; Incumbent, Rev. James Beck, M.A., of Corpus 
Christi College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1538. 
Acreage, 1,264. 

This is a small parish in form approaching to a square, and 
consists of arable, pasture, wood, and down, in nearly equal 
portions. The soils vary from sand to chalk and marl. There 
is no proper village^ and the only house of importance is the 
noble mansion of Lord de la Zouch, shortly to be described. The 
manor of Perham was held before the Conquest by Tovi, a free 
man, and afterwards of Earl Ebger de Montgomeri by Eobert I., 
was rated at three hides, and had two villeins, a cottar, and a 
mill. The value was £3 per annum. Early in the reign of 
Edward III. it had passed to the influential family of Tregoz, 
who had inherited from that of St. John. In 1399 Edward 
Tregoz was lord. It afterwards appears to have vested in the 
Crown. In 1 550 Eobert Palmer, third son of Thomas Palmer, 
of Angmering, was seised of it, and his son Sir Thomas Palmer 



76 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

completed the present manor-house, and enclosed a park. Sir 
Thomas Palmer, his grandson, sold the estate to Sir Thomas 
Bisshopp, of Henfield, in 1597, who was created a baronet in 
1620. Sir Cecil Bisshopp, the eighth who held that title, was 
summoned to Parliament by writ in 1815, as Baron Zouche of 
Haryngworth, which title had been in abeyance since 1625. 
This ancient barony by writ dates from 2nd Edward II., 1308. 
Parham came by the marriage of Harriet- Anne, daughter of Sir 
Cecil Bisshopp, to the Honourable Eobert Curzon, third son of 
Ashton Viscount Curzon. Their son, the present Lord de la 
Zouche, on the death of his mother in 1870, succeeded to the 
title and estates. 

The Abbey of St. Peter of Westminster held lands in Parham 
from the time of the Confessor, which were rated in his time at 
seven hides, though in Domesday at only three. There were 
eight villeins and five cottars. These lands, with the advowson 
of the church, appear to have vested in the Abbey till the dis- 
solution. They now form a principal portion of the manorial 
estate. 

Parham House was built early in the 16th century, on a very 
grand scale, but has received subsequent additions. Like many 
other mansions of the same character in the county, it lies at 
the foot of the South Downs in a fine park fall of picturesque 
beauty, abounding with venerable oaks, and well stocked vdth 
fallow deer, together with a famous heronry. There are several 
noble apartments, particularly the hall, 51 feet by 26, and 24 
in height, and the picture gallery, 158 feet long, which contains 
numerous fine portraits of the builder of Parham House, of the 
Bisshopp family and their connections, of Queen Elizabeth, and 
of various officers of state and other noble and gentle person- 
ages. The dining and drawing-rooms, with other apartments, 
also possess many excellent paintings. Parham is one grand 
museum of ancient and modem art and literary rarities. Many 
of the objects have been collected by the antiquarian skill and 
industry of the present noble possessor, the author of " Monas- 
teries of the Levant,'' and other works. The library contains 
about 100 writings on tablets of stone and wood ; Egyptian 
papyri, a large number of ancient MSS., chiefly on vellum, some 
bemg of the fourth century, and several in the Greek, Coptic, 
and Syriac languages, written before the year 1000, some beauti- 
^^Tir^^T^^*®^ ' ®^^^y printed books, including several Caxtons 
and Wynkyn de Wordes, first printed editions of Homer and 
Virgil, earhr Bibles, the five folio editions of Shakspeare, a copv 

^L!^\ Ti!".^^^ ?! ^^^d^^s/' containing an auto^aph of the 
great bard hmiself Then there is a superb coUectk>n of ancient 
gold and silver plate, enamels, and ivoiy carvings, most beautiful 



PATCHAM. 77 

to behold, and most precious to possess. A considerable number 
of these objects are ecclesiastical. In the haU are the arms of 
Queen Elizabeth, over the spot on which that illustrious lady is 
said to have dined in 1692. This apartment is graced with 
*' armoires,'^ containing an important collection of armour of 
all countries and ages, of which the greater part, belonging 
to the 15th century, was collected by the noble and accomplished 
owner of Parham ("fortunate puer ") from the deserted church 
of St. Irene at Constantinople. What adds to their interest is 
the fact that these steel vestments once clad the gallant defenders 
of the last of the imperial Paleologi against the Turks on the 
fall of the Eastern Empire before Mahomet 11. in 1452. Lord 
de la Zouche drew up the particulars of his priceless purchase, 
and his account of these articles and the other objects in the 
hall, lies on the great table for the inspection of the privileged 
visitor. WeU did a living worthy remark of the grand collection 
in this mansion : — 

" In any house who can otmipare 'em, 
Those precious things that lie at Par-ham?" 

The church (St. Peter P) is a smaU building of nave and south 
aisle, probably of early date, but much modernized, with the 
addition of a tower in 1800, at the expense of the Bisshopp 
family. It has a small spire and one bell. The font is of lead, 
impressed with the arms of Andrew Peverell, knight of the 
shire in 1351, and inscribed ihs. nazab. (Jesus of Nazareth.) 
There are slabs in the chancel to the memory of some of the 
Bisshopp family. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermill, v, 271. Visit of Qneen Elizabeth, v, 
197. Barrows at, ix, 116. Palmer at Agincourt, xv, 130. Bell, xvi, 220. 
Bisshopp of, xvii, 82. xix, 107, 158. Chalk used in building Parham 
House, XX, 187.] 



PATCHAM, alias Pecham. 

Domesday, Piceam ; a South Down parish, constituting the Hundred of 
Dean ; Eape of Lewes ; distant three miles north from Brighton, its 
Post-town and Railway station. Union, Steyning. Population in 
1811,331; in 1861, 638. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £110; 
Patron, the Lord Chancellor ; Incumbent, Rev. John Allen, M. A. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1717. Acreage, 4,398. Chief 
Landowners, the Earl of Abergavenny, Colonel Paine, Lady Ogle, 
and — Tillstone, Esq. Seats, Patcham Place, Colonel Paine ; With- 
dean Court, Lady Ogle ; Moulscombe, E. S. Tillstone, Esq. ; With- 
dean Hall, H. C. Lacy, Esq. ; &c. 

Patcham was, in Saxon times, an important manor, and 
belonged to Earl Harold, who derived fh)m it the very large 



78 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

sum of one limidrecl pounds per annum. The tenantry consisted 
of 143 villeins and 45 bondmen, having 82 ploughs. Connected 
with the church there were 16 dependents, and there was pan- 
nage for 100 hogs. Twenty six houses in Lewes also appertained 
to the manor. It afterwards formed part of the barony of 
Lewes. At present the Earl of Abergavenny is lord, and Lady 
Ogle, daughter and heiress of the late Thomas William Roe, 
Esq., possesses the manors of Withdeari Court and Withdean 
Cayliflfe. Withdean Court, recently partly rebuilt by Lady 
Ogle, is traditionally one of the residences of Anne of Cleves, 
who had a grant of the manor in 1541. Withdean^ a considerable 
hamlet, was written in the 16th century Wyghtdeane, and is 
commonly pronounced Whiting. Moulscombe belonged, from 
the 15th to the 19th century and, traditionally, from the time of 
the Conquest, to the fanuly of Webb. Patcham Place was one of 
the seats of the Lords La Warr. A branch of the great family 
of Shelley afterwards possessed it for several generations, until 
their removal to Southover and Lewes. Subsequently the 
baronet family of Stapley had it for two or three descents, and 
Sir John Stapley sold it, with the impropriation, to John Lilly, 
gentleman, whose nephew aliened it in 1719, to George, Lord 
Abergavenny. In 1764, a good estate here was purchased by 
John Paine, Esq., ancestor of the present owner. The house, 
which is partly of the date of Queen Elizabeth, is situated on 
the Downs, with beautiful adjuncts of wood and lawn. 

In my " Worthies of Sussex,'' p. 285, I have adduced my 
reasons for believing that John Peckham, Archbishop of Canter- 
bury, ob. 1294, was a native of this parish. A family of De 
Pecham resided here, tem'p. Edward I. Another family of great 
antiquity in Sussex, the Farncombes, derived their name from 
the lands called Vamcombe in this parish, in or before the 
reign of Edward HI. 

The church (All Saints) consists of chancel, nave, and west 
tower, with battlements. Hussey describes it as containing 
features of Transition-Norman, Decorated, and Perpendicular 
architecture. Besides more recent monuments, the church and 
church-yard have memorials for Shelley, 1594; Stapley (17th 
century), Paine, Farncombe, Eoe, and Jones. 

HoUingbury hill or " castle " is a castrametation in the south- 
east quarter of this parish. Armillse, celts, and other British 
remains have been found near this spot. Let us hope that the 
contemplated '^ploughing up '' of this ancient fort will not be 
ignorantly persisted in. 

.p:[®*o^* ^\ Colonel Anthony Stapley, v, 66. King Edward I. at, ii, 
153. bmugglers, ix, 195. Church to Lewes Priory, xiii, 244. Stapley 
family, ii, 117. xiii, 252. Bells, xvi, 220. Wellesboume stream. Mid 
rhymes, by Mr. J. Ellis, xvi, 247. Shelley famHy, xix, 175 ] 



79 
PATCHING. 

Domesday, Patchings ; a parish in the Hundred of its own name, which 
is co-extensive with it ; Rape of Arundel ; distant five miles north- 
west from Worthing ; Post-town, Arundel ; Railway station, Ang- 
mering, distant about 2^miles. Union, Sutton. Population in 1811, 
183 ; in 1861, 275. Benefice, a Rectory (a peculiar of Canter- 
bury), valued at £218 ; Patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury ; In- 
cumbent, Rev. Edmund Tew, M.A., of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1598. Acreage, 1,748. 

In 948 Patching was given, by Wlfric, to Christ Church, 
Canterbury, and in Domesday it is included in the territory of 
the Archbishop. According to that record, it was appropriated 
to the monks for their clothing. Godfrey de Mealing was ten- 
ant in 1156. From temp. Edward I., to 1446, or later, it was 
held by the knightly family of Le Waleys. From 33rd Henry 
Vlll. it was held by the * Shelley s with Michelgrove, until 
1800, when it was bought by Richard Walker, Esq., whose son, 
E. W. Walker, sold it in 1828 to Bernard-Edward, Duke of 
Norfolk. 

A church is mentioned in Domesday. It was dependent on 
the mother-church of Tarring untU 1282, when it was made a 
separate Rectory. The existing building " is of larger dimen- 
sions than the generaLlity of parish churches in this neighbour- 
hood, and the plan is rather uncommon. The nave had origin- 
ally an aisle on the north side, at the east end of which aisle 
the tower, which about 1790 had a shingled spire, was placed; 
the chancel had also an aisle or chapel attached to the north 
side, which has been taken down. The west end of the nave 
has been reduced in length." (Cartwright, 1830.) The building 
was renovated about 1856 by Sir John Kirkland, then resident 
here. Mr. Hussey considers the tower Transition-Norman. There 
are memorials for Delany, Jordan, Symmons, Bushby, &c. The 
villagers have a tradition that " some Archbishop" was buried 
at Patching. 

For an account of the plot concocted by William Shelley and 
others in Patcham copse, 25th Elizabeth, in favour of Mary, 
Queen of Scots, see "Worthies of Sussex," p. 130. In the 
beechwoods of this parish the truffle {Lycoperdon tuber) is found. 
A man named William Leech, from the West Indies, settled 
here about the end of the last century, and with the aid of dogs 
carried on the business of a truffle-hunter till his death, 

[S. A. C. Bell, xvi, 220. Patching pond subsidiary to the Anin, xvi, 
258. Butlers, xvii, 222. Fortescue, Lord of the Manor, xx, 69.] 



80 HierroBT of Sussex. 

FEASMABSH. 

Vnlgo, Petumesh ; a paiisli in the Hnndred of Groldspur ; Eape of Hast- 
ings ; distant three miles north-west from Bye, its Railway station . 
Post-town, Staplehnrst. Union, Rye. Population in 1811, 781 ; in 
1861, 906. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £261 ; Patron, Sidney 
Sussex College (through the gift of — Giles, Vicar of Peasmarsh, 
who died 1569) ; Incumbent, Rey. William Richard Ick, B.D., of 
that GoUege. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1569. Acreage, 3,718. 
SeaU^ Peasmarsh Place, EL Mascall Curteis, Esq.; Woodside, T. 
Smith Pix, Esq. 

It is a well-wooded parish, bonnded on the north by the 
Bother. It gave name to a family, of whom James, son and 
heir of Sir John Pesemarsh, was party to a deed in 1482. (^^ Battle 
Abbey Deeds," p. 124.) In 3rd Edward 11. Stephen Bnrghersh 
had free warren, and in 7th Henry IV. Elizabeth, wife of Nicho- 
las Vnrrell, held the manor. In 3rd and 4th Philip and Mary 
Anthony, Visconnt Montagne, sold tofiobert Sheppard the glebe 
of the parsonage or prebend of Pesemershe, and hiis descendants 
were connected with the parish for several generations. In 1719 
the manor contdnned in the heirs of Edward Sheppard, Esq. In 
1743 the Mascalls were in possession, and so continued nntil 
1821, when Caroline, co-heiress of Bobert Mascall, Esq., con- 
veyed it by marriage to Herbert Barrett Curteis, Esq., father of 
the present proprietor. 

The church (St. Peter and St. Paul), which has lately been 
restored, is principally in the Early English style, though the 
chancel arch is Norman. It consists of chancel, nave, with 
aisles, and tower with spire. ** In the south wall are four small 
arches, one of which is a piscina." There are tablets and inscrip- 
tions for the names of Mascall, Delves, Shephard, Parr, Smith, 
Holt, "Webber, Lettice, Ac. 

William Pattison, a poet of the last century, was the son of a 
farmer in this parish. He was bom in 1706, and studied partly 
at Appleby school, co. Westmorland. He entered Sidney Sussex 
College, Cambridge, but recklessly left the University and com- 
menced the career of a literary adventurer in London, where, 
after a course of vice and misery, he died at the early age of 21. 
His impure works, printed by the profligate Curll, are now seldom 
heard of. (See « Worthies of Sussex," 172-176.) 

[S. A. C. Weekes of, xi, 82. Pearson and Shepherd, xiii, 57. Church, 
xiii, 137. Lands suhmerged by sea, xiii, 176- Morley manor in, xiv, 112. 
Bells, xvi, 220. Richard Oxenbridge of Peasmarsh, Constable of Gold- 
spur, in Cade's rising, xviii, 25, 39.] 



PECULIARS. PENHURST. 81 

PECULIARS of the ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY. 

Ceadwalla, King of the South Saxons, who died in 688, 
granted to the Archbishop of Canterbury various manors^ ex- 
tending from Lewes into the Primate's own diocese, so that he 
could travel from the archiepiscopal see to the county town of 
Sussex without quitting his own territory. These manors are 
circumstantially mentioned in Domesday. The Bishops of Chi- 
chester had no jurisdiction in the churches of these manors, and 
as " Peculiars" of the see of Canterbury, and in the gift of the 
successive Archbishops, the latter have, until within late years, 
held their periodical Visitations. Recent legislation, however, has 
thrown the benefices into the diocese of Chichester, though the 
Archbishop still holds the patronage. These remarks apply 
principally to the East Sussex Peculiars, but there are others 
in the Archdeaconry of Chichester which have been placed 
under the same ecclesiastical regulations. The PecuKars are 
as follows :— 

East Sussex (locally within the Archdeaconry of Lewes and 
Deanery of South Mailing) — ^Mayfield, Buxted, with Uckfield 
annexed, Isfield, Edburton, Stanmer, Framfield, Glynde, St. 
Thomas-at-Cliffe, Ringmer, and Wadhurst. 

In West Sussex there are, in the Archdeaconry of Chichester 
and in the Deanery of Pagham — Pagham church with its 
chapel, Lavant, Tangmere, Slyndon, and All Saints, Chichester; 
and, in the Deanery of Tarring — ^Tarring and Patcham. 

In several of these places the Archbishops had mansioneSy or 
resting-places, specially Mayfield Palace, Tarble Down in Fram- 
field, Broyle in Ringmer, South Mailing, West Tarring, Pag- 
ham, and Slyndon. All these places were occasionally occupied 
by the Primate in his periodical journeys and visitations. 



PENHURST. 

A parish in the Hundred of Netherfield; Rape of Hastings; distant four 
miles north-west from Battle, its Post-town and Railway station. 
Union, Battle. Population in 1811, 67 ; in 1861, 105. Benefice, a 
Rectory, united with Ashbumham (which see). Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1692. Acreage, 1,462. Chief Landowner ^Hlq Earl 
of Ashbumham. 

An undulating and well- wooded parish, as its latter syllable 
implies. In early times it gave name to tlie family of De 
Penherst, who held under the lords of Bodiam so late as 9th 
Edward IV. In 8th James I. the Michelbomes of Clayton, and 
subsequently Joan Busbridge, widow, held it under the same in- 

VOL. II. G 



82 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

feudation, by the yearly rent of 24s. for every leap-year, and 18s. 
for every other year ! The manor has long been added to the 
Ashbnmham estate. 

The church is small, consisting of a nave, chancel, and low- 
square tower, in the "later style of English architecture." 
(Horsfield.) There are some remains of antiquity which were 
more perfect when the church was visited by Sir William Bur- 
relL He mentions, among the painted glass in the east window, 
figures, architectural designs, the arms of Pelham, and those of 
Penhurst. (Sa. a mullet of 6 points, arg.) Some traces of the 
rood-loffc also existed, and upon the beam " Ecce Homo*' between 
the sentences (right) " Venite benedicti in regnum Patris mei,'* 
and (left) " Ite maledicti in ignem etemum." The four windows 
of the nave had also quarries of painted glass. An iron slab in 
the chancel commemorates Peter Gower, 1703. Toward.s the 
end of the last century the Eev. Joseph Wise, an author of some 
repute, held this benefice. 

[S. A. G. Iron-workB, ii, 215. Bell, xvi, 220. Lands belonging to Bat- 
tle Abbey, xvii, 33. Arms of Penhurst, vi, 76.] 



PETT. 

A parish in the Hundred of Guestling ; Rape of Hastings ; distant 4^ 
miles north-east from Hastings, its Post-town. Union, Hastings. 
Population in 1811, 233; in 1861, 320. Benefice, a Rectory, valued 
at £512; Patron, Henry Young, Esq.; Incumbent, Rev. Frederick 
Young, M.A., of Balliol College, Oxon. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1675. Acreage, 2,350. 

The manor of Pett, which lies chiefly in this parish and 
Guestling, is said to be identical with the devastated manor of 
Luet^ mentioned in Domesday, bnt I think Fairlight has a better 
claim to that designation. It belonged in 1368 to Henry Halle, 
of Ore, from whose family it appears to have passed to the 
Levetts. In 1574 John Fletcher died seised of the manor and 
advowson. In the 18th century it belonged to the Medleys, and 
passed as Buxted to the late Earl of Liverpool. 

Part of the parish is flat, and known as Pett Level, but other 
portions are undulating and agreeable. Prom one point the 
coast of France is discernible in clear weather. The village is 
pleasantly situated nearly midway between Winchelsea and 
Hastings. Its seabord is defended (?) by eight Martello towers. 
The church (St. Mary and St. Peter) was rebuilt in 1864, and 
contams monuments for the Wynch family ; also one by West- 
macott to Cordelia Sayer, 1820, and a brass plate to George 
Theobald, 1641, " He gave a beU freely to grace the new steeple 



PETWORTH. 83 

— ^Ring out his prayse therefore, ye good people." The military 
canal extends from Cliff-end in this parish to Hythe, a distance 
of 23 miles. The geological changes on this part of the coast 
are shown by the remains of a submerged forest, visible on the 
sands at low water during spring tides. 

[S. A. C. Military canal, xv, 155. Church bell, xvi, 220. Crouche, 
benefactor to church, xvii, 125. Piseing John, xix, 95.] 



PETWORTH. 

Domesday Peteorde ; vulgo, Pettuth ; a market-town and parish in the 
Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Rape of Arundel ; distant 14 nules north- 
east from Chichester. It is a Post-town, and has a railway station, 
distant from the town 1 J miles. Union, Petworth. Population in 
1811, 2,459 ; in 1861, 3,368. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £850. 
It was formerly of very great extent, and included the now detached 
chapelries of Duncton and Northchapel. Patron, Lord Leconfield ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Charles Holland, M.A., of University College, 
Oxon. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. Acreage, 5,982. 
Chief Landowner, Lord Leconfield. Seats, Petworth House, Lord 
Leconfield ; Hilliers, Colonel Willm. Barttelot, M.P. ; Newgrove, J. 
H. Robinson, Esq., &c. 

This fine old town is surpassed in interest by very few in 
the connty. Besides the notices of it in Dallaway, Horsfield, 
&c., it has had its historians in Dr. Eoger Turner, (S. A. C.) 
xiv, and, more recently, in a monograph by the Rev. F. H. Arnold, 
1 864. Mr. Arnold remarks that " while Petworth is characterized 
by the beaufrp- of its scenery, the magnificence of its park, the 
number of its charitable institutions, and more recently by 
the treasures of art collected in Petworth House, the history 
of the place itself possesses, at least, as much interest as usually 
attaches to other towns, with which it may be fitly compared." 
It has been connected for many centuries, in an undisturbed line 
of succession, with one of the greatest of our historical races, 
and "Percy-honoured" is an epithet which it may properly 
claim and bear. 

The etymology of Petworth seems to be "the worth or estate, 
of Peta,^ though the compilers of Domesday thought proper to 
spell it Peteorde. No more than modem Frenchmen, could they 
get over our Saxon theta. See the analogous instance of Ordinges 
for Worthing. Petworth was held as a free manor of Edward 
the Confessor by a Saxon lady called Eddeva. Roger, Earl of 
Chichester and Arundel, granted it to his Norman friend and 
vassal, Robert de Belesme, whose son, " Robert the Cruel," suc- 
ceeded. On his forfeiture Henry I. bequeathed it to his second 

G 2 



84 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

wife Adeliza, who re-married William de Albini, Earl of Arundel ; 
but Petworth was conveyed by gift from the queen to her brother 
Joceline de Louvaine (1140) as an infeudation of Arundel, by the 
service of being Castellan there. Josceline took the name of 
Percy on his marriage with Agnes, daughter of William de Percy, 
3rd in descent from a companion of the Conqueror. He was 
succeeded by his son Henry, whose brother Richard was one of 
the Magna-Charta barons. The next conspicuous personages 
of this great line were, Henry the 4th lord, who was taken prisoner 
by the Barons at the battle of Lewes in 1264, and his successor 
Henry, who was at Dunbar and Bannockburn. Henry son of 
the latter, and his son Henry, the seventh lord, figure largely 
in war and public afPairs in the 14th century. Henry, the 8th 
lord of Petworth was created Earl of Northumberland by Richard 
II., and from that date, as Mr. Arnold remarks, a series of catas- 
trophes ensue. The diike, who was also Earl-Marshal, took the 
side of WicklifiFe against Courtenay, Bishop of London, in 1337, 
and had a narrow escape of his life. His son was the widely- 
renowned Hotspur, whose history is so well known as the oppon- 
ent of Henry IV., and for his subsequent turbulent career. His 
history belongs to England rather than to Alnwick and Petworth. 
His sword is among the treasures of Petworth House. Hotspur^s 
son^ the 2nd Earl, is supposed to be one of the heroes of Chevy 
Chase, though he could not have fallen there at the hand of the 
Scotch knight, since that fate was reserved for him at the battle 
of St. Albans. Henry, the 3rd Earl, was bom at Leconfield, 
CO. York, another of the great Percy estates, in 1421. Like 
his father he adhered to the Lancastrian cause, and commanded 
and fell at the sanguinary battle of Towton, Henry, 4th Earl, 
was assassinated at his house at Cocksedge, near Thirsk. Henry, 
5th Earl, was a conspicuous personage in the court of Henry 
VIIL, and was present at the Battle of the Spurs. From the 
celebrated " Northumberland Household Book " it appears that 
his ordinary establishment consisted of 223 persons. Henry 
Algernon, the 6th Earl, was in the retinue ofWolsey, and a lover 
of Anna Boleyn, and it is a lucky circumstance that he did not 
lose hishead as well as his heart. He afterwards married the Lady 
Mary Talbot, but left no issue. His brother Thomas was beheaded 
for treason in Aske's rebellion, but he left a son of his own name 
who succeeded his uncle as the 7th Earl of Northumberland, he 
having previously been created by Queen Mary, in 1557, Baron 
Percy, of- Cockermouth and Petworth. He was a zealous Eoman- 
istj.and taking up arms against Elizabeth, fled to Scotland, 
where he was beheaded at the command of the Earl of Morton. 
His brother Henry, 8th Earl, became a Protestant, and long 
enjoyed the favour of Elizabeth, but at length, on suspicion of 



PET WORTH. 85 

complicity with Thockmorton and Paget for the liberation of 
the Queen of Scots, he was committed to the Tower, where he 
committed suicide with a " dag " or pistol in 1585. Henry, 9th 
Earl, laboured under the unjust suspicion of having been con- 
cerned in the Gunpowder Plot (in which his relative Thomas 
Percy took part) and was imprisoned in the Tower for more than 
16 years, where he solaced himself in the pursuits of science. He 
paid a fine of £20,000 and was discharged on his parole that he 
would not go more than 30 miles from Petworth House. He 
was a great patron of science. An admirable portrait of him by 
Vandyke is preserved at Petworth. His son Algernon, 10th 
Earl, and K.G., was Lord High- Admiral of England. He sided 
with the Parliament at first, but was averse to the execution 
of Charles I. The care of the monarch's children was entrusted 
to him, and he treated them with the utmost kindness. During 
the Commonwealth he lived in retirement at Petworth, delight- 
ing in rural occupations. He assisted Monk in the restora- 
tion of Charles II., and became a Privy Councillor. His first 
wife was the Lady Anne CecU, and as a memorial of the marriage 
an oak tree was planted in Petworth Park, which still maintains 
a vigorous existence. By his second wife, the Lady Elizabeth 
Howard, he was father of Josceline, the eleventh and last Earl 
of Northumberland, who died in 1670, leaving a daughter Eliza- 
beth, Baroness Percy, in whom vested the ancestral honours and 
the vast estates of the Percys. She had many suitors, arid was 
" three times a wife before she was 16.'' Her 3rd husband was 
Charles Seymour, the " proud," and 6th Duke of Somerset, by 
whom she had 13 children, but only three daughters and one 
son survived. He lived in almost regal state, and exacted the 
utmost servility from his children and dependents, but although 
he declined to take the name of Percy as he had covenanted to 
do, he always treated his duchess with the greatest devotion 
and respect. He possessed many noble qualities, and was a 
firm adherent to the reformed religion. He gave his services to 
the Prince of Orange, and on the death of Queen Anne was 
active in promoting the interests of George I. He died in 1748, 
when his only son, Algernon, succeeded him as the 7th Duke of 
Somerset, and owner of Petworth, having previously been created 
Earl of Northumberland by George II., with remainder, in default 
of heirs male, to Sir Hugh Smythson, Bart., the husband of his 
only daughter Elizabeth. The Duke was subsequently created 
Baron Cockermouth and Earl of Egremont, with ultimate 
remainder to Sir Charles Wyndham, eldest son of his sister. 
Lady Catherine Seymour, who had married the celebrated states- 
man. Sir William Wyndham — 

— " Wyndham, just to freedom and the throne, 
The master of our passions and his own." 



86 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Duke Algernon died in 1750, when Sir H. Smythson became 
Earl of Northmnberland, and Sir Charles Wyndham, Earl of 
Egremont and lord of the honour of Petworth. The latter died 
in 1763, and was succeeded by his son, then only 12 years old. 

This was George O'Brien Wyndham, third Earl of Egremont, 
who during the greater part of his long life resided at Petworth, 
and from his liberal patronage of the arts and sciences became 
widely known as the Maecenas of his age. He died in 1837, aged 
85 (see " Sussex Worthies," p. 90), leaving his vast possessions 
to his eldest natural son, the present proprietor, Gteorge 
Wyndham, who was created Baron Leconfield, of Leconfield, 
CO. York, in 1869. 

Petworth House has always been one of the principal seats in 
the county. In 1309 Henry de Percy had license to fortify his 
manors of Petworth and Leconfield. A representation of the old 
house, which stood on nearly the present site, is given in Vol. 
xiv, of the " Sussex Collections." It shows in the foreground a 
large quadrangle with a gateway, and behind it ano&er half- 
finished quadrangle. Fuller says, " Petworth, the house of the 
Earls of Northumberland, is most famous for a stately stable, 
the best of any subject's in Christendon, as it affords stabling in 
state for three score horses." What is now a park of two thousand 
acres was, in the days of the early Percies, a great forest ; but 
partly from the ravages of the iron-works, and partly for 
sesthetic reasons, Petworth Park, with its ten miles of stone ring 
fence, has become one of the most celebrated in England for its 
magnitude, and for its graceful admixture of wood, water, and 
undulating lawn. Petworth received royal visits from Edward 
n. and Edward VI. Whether Elizabeth came hither is undecided. 
George IV. (Prince Eegent) was here in 1814, and Queen Victoria 
in 1846. 

On the Duke of Somerset's coming into possession he began 
to pull down the old Percy house and to build the present palatial 
mansion, which is 322 feet in length, and 62 feet high to the 
parapet. Its aspect is not pleasing, as, from its monotonous 
fagade, without any considerable projections or recesses, it more 
resembles a portion of some great city street than one of the 
most important baronial mansions in the kingdom. The only 
part of the old edifice retained is the chapel — a gloomy apart- 
ment decorated with the arms and devices of the Percies and 
their alliances. 

Adequately to describe the interior of Petworth House would 
require from a critical pen a volume much larger than the present. 
Its marbles, its pictures, more than 600 in number, executed by 
more than 200 artists, and its wondrous wood carvings, deserve 
a special historian. Here are glorious Claudes, and genuine 
Holbeins and Vandykes, with productions of nearly every other 



PETWORTH. 87 

master both ancient and modem, including several of Turner, 
marked by the usual exaggerations of that great artist. Many 
of the portraits are, of course, those of the Percies, Somersets, 
and Wyndhams, and of Sovereigns contemporaneous with them. 
For descriptions the reader is referred to " Murray's Handbook 
of Sussex," "Waagen's Art Treasures of Great Britain,^' and to 
a catalogue by A. E. Knox, Esq. The wood-carvings by Grinling 
Gibbons are truly marvellous, and so indeed are those of Kitson, 
a northern proteg6 of Lord Egremont, who was employed to 
complete some of the decorations. The sculptures, which form 
a large collection, were chiefly purchased at Bome for Charles, 
Earl of Egremont, who ordered many of them to be supplied 
with the limbs of which time or violence had deprived l^em. 
Hence an ill-natured wag once characterized the collection as a 
" hospital for decayed statues.*' It will probably be found, how- 
ever, that when adverse criticism has done its worst, common 
candour wiU allow that few collections of art in Europe amassed 
by a private family, can vie with the glories of " Princely 
Petworth.'' 

The church, dedicated to our Lady of Pity or of the Assump- 
tion, contains a chapel of St. Thomas 4 Becket, and is supposed 
originally to have belonged to the family of De Alta Eipa, or 
Dawtrey, formerly influential here. Petworth had a church in 
Saxon times, and has probably never wanted one since; but 
modem repairs have so obliterated or concealed ancient features, 
that a few traces only of Early Decorated and Perpendicular 
work are to be seen. Lideed, the late Earl of Egremont almost 
entirely rebuilt the church at a cost of £15,000, about 1827, 
from designs by Barry, with a spire reaching the altitude of 180 
feet. Many Percies lie entombed in Becket's chapel with brass 
plates and other memorials. There are also a fine statue of Lord 
Egremont in a sitting posture, by Bailey, and two tombs of the 
Dawtreys. Jn the nave and chancel are some interesting memo- 
rials to the Eectors and others, one of them to Dr. Wickens, an 
early work by Elaxman. As a great church prize, Petworth has 
had many eminent incumbents. Parson Aeon, according to 
Leland, " builded the spire of the faire steeple." King, the 
poetical Bishop of Chichester, was supplanted in Puritan times 
by the fanatical Dr. Cheynell, the antagonist of Chillingworth. 
The rectory-house was built by Montague and Duppa, succes- 
sively Bishops of Chichester, predecessors of Eing in that see. 
Dr. John Price was chaplain to General Monk, and aided in the 
Restoration of Charles 11. Charles Dunster, the translator of 
Aristophanes, was also rector here. Indeed, for a long series of 
years the rectors of Petworth have been in some way or other 
distinguished. Notices of some of them will be found in the 



88 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

" Worthies of Sussex/' viz., Joliii Edmmid, p. 326 ; Eichard 
Montague, p. 116; Brian Duppa, p. 116 ; King, p. 117; Cheynell, 
p. 309 ; Dunster, p. 343. 

A fair was formerly kept here for nine consecutive days, but 
was suspended in the year 1666 in consequence of the plague. 
Petworth gives name to a beautiful marble composed of univalve 
freshwater shells, which is found in this and other parts of Sussex. 
Iron-works were carried on at Petworth, and glass was manu- 
factured between the town and Kirdford, in Glass-house-lane. 
Petworth has numerous and munificent charities, particularly 
those founded by Mr. Thompson in 1624, by the Duke of Somerset 
in 1740, Taylor's 1753, and the Earl of Egremont's school, 1816. 
The town consists of a few irregular streets with several excel- 
lent houses. One of these, near the church, was the town 
residence of the ancient family of Dawtrey, or De Alta Eipa, 
connections of the Percys, whose " chiefest house, according to 
Leland, is in Petworth paroche, caullid the More, half a mile 
from Petworth toune." Moore House was dismantled in 1763, 
and the remains became a farmstead, which still possesses traces 
of former importance and heraldric display. The Crescent, the 
Percy badge, is found on several old houses ; an inn here bears 
that sign (the Half-Moon), and it is noteworthy that several 
public-houses between Petworth and London, on the old route 
of the Percies to court, are also " Half-Moons." Newgrove 
was the seat of another ancient family, that of De Aula or Hall, 
whose heiress married William Peachey in the 17th century. 
His descendant. Sir Henry Peachey, was created a baronet in 
1736, as "of New Grove." It now belongs to Lord Leconfield. 
According to Mr. Arnold bull-baiting and cock-fighting were 
practiced at Petworth late in the last century. 

The Town-hall and market-house, a stone structure, was 
built in 1793 by the late Earl of Egremont. On one end is a 
bust of William III., " in all the glories of his flowing wig.'' 
In this Hall are held the Epiphany and Easter Sessions for the 
Western division of Sussex. There is a large prison for the divi- 
sion, an elaborate account of which is given by Dallaway in his 
preliminary History of the Rape of Arundel, up to the year 
1819. 

[S. A. C. Iron-works, ii, 215. iii, 242. Queen Elizabeth, v, 197. 
Domesday watennill, v, 271. King Edward 1. at, ii, 143. Edward II. at, 
vi, 49. Church, xii, 95. Tredcroft family, ibid, Egremont, Earl of, xii, 
96. Petworth House, xiii, via, xiii, 109. Grinling Gibbons, and Ritson's, 
wood carvings, xiii, xiii xiv, 10. License to fortify, xiii, 109. De Percy 
family, xiv, 2,3. Thompson's hospital, xiii, 305. Petworth, apaper(i?o^. 
Turner, M.D.), xiv. 1-24. Charles, King of Spain at, xiv, 14. The 
" Cecil oak," xiv, 16. Dawtrey or De Alta Ripa family, of Moore House, 



PEVENSEY. 89 

xiv, 18. XV, 104. xvi, 291. Almshouse, xiv, 21. Thompson's hospital, 
xiv, 21. xvi, 37. Dr. Cheynell, xiv, 23. Proud Duke of Somerset, xv, 77. 
Agincourt, xv, 133. Cloth manufacture, xiv, 14. House of Correction, 
xvi, 21. Bells of, xvi, 220. Smugglers at Rotherbridge, xvi, 260. Pub- 
lications relating to, xviii, 100, 101. A tradesman's token, xviii, 163. 
Barnard family, xix, 94. Lovet of, xix, 95. Quarter-sessions held here, 
xix, 125. Town cage, xix, 124. George Inn, xix, 134. Golden Square, 
and Damer's Bridge, xix, 137. Parson Edmond's conduit, xix, 137. Bull- 
ring, and Whipping-post, ibid, Eoman coins, xix, 142. Bad roads, xix, 
160. Hotspur's sword, XX, 128.] 



PEVENSEY. 



DomesdsLjyPevenesel; vulgo, Pemaey; a parish and Railway station (though 
the latter is locally in the parish of Westham) in the Hundred and 
Rape of its own name ; distant ten miles west from Hastings. Union 
and Post-town, Eastbourne. Population in 1811, 254 ; in 1861, 
385. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £1,100 ; Patron, the Bishop 
of Chichester; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Browne, M.A., of ^Corpus 
Christi College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1566. 
Acreage, 4,856. 

No place of the same small population and minor impor- 
tance in the South of England can vie in interest with Pevensey. 
Though now only a simple village street, it represents a great Eo- 
man station and fortress, and a very considerable stronghold of 
medieval days ; and was the scene of many exciting historical 
events extending over centuries. It gives name to a hundred, a 
rape, a rich marsh, and that beautiful expanse of ocean, Pevensey 
Bay. It also possesses a separate jurisdiction, the " Lowey " or 
liberty, comprising the parishes of Pevensey and Westham, with 
portions of Hailsham and Bexhill, and is one of the principal 
limbs or members of the Cinque Ports. 

The great and fertile plain stretching along the Sussex coast 
from the eastward of Beachy-head in the direction of Hastings, 
and inland towards Wartling, Hurst-Monceux, and Hailsham, 
now studded with great and fat beeves, was at some remote era 
covered by the sea, and what are known as " eyes" or elevations 
above the surrounding level — such as Chilleye, Northeye, Hors- 
eye, Eickney, &c., must have been islands, forming a miniature 
archipelago. As these are all of Saxon meaning, it may be pre- 
sumed that, at the time of Saxon colonization, they were fre- 
quently or cojistantly insulated. It is almost certain that with- 
in the last thousand years, the waters approached very closely 
the town and castle of Pevensey, and even so lately as the year 
1317, Edward II. granted to one Eobert de Sassy, by the annual 
service of presenting a pair of gUt spurs, certain lands in the 



90 HISTORY OF SUSSEX, 

marsh of Pevensey and in the tenure of no man, because over- 
flowed by the sea. Like Hastings, Winchelsea, and Seaford, 
this place has, by the caprices of Father Neptune, lost the port 
which it once enjoyed, and it now requires almost a stretch of 
the imagination to believe that royal navies once rode in Pev- 
ensey harbour. Such, however, we have evidence in many an- 
cient records was once the case. 

What gave importance to the place in the days of the Roman 
rule in Britain, was the erection of a large fortification or ca5- 
trum^ which has been undeniably proved to be the station called 
AiTDEEiDA, a word latinized from the British name Andrads- 
wald. The Britons appear to have had a settlement here in 
earlier times, both from the occasional discovery of British coins, 
and from the retention of Celtic words as names of places. The 
Castle of Pevensey, as we now behold it, exhibits two periods ; 
the one undoubtedly Roman, the other a medieval building, en- 
grafted upon the original structure. The date of the Roman 
building is inferred to have been of about the commencement of 
the Lower Empire. In the excavations which, in connection 
with Mr. C. Roach Smith, F.S.A., I carried on on the spot, we 
found coins of Gallienus, Postumus, Maximinian, Constantino, 
the Constantine family, and Magnentius. Other coins of cor- 
responding dates had been previously found on the spot, and 
they still frequently turn up.* It was long a matter of archaeo- 
logical discussion whether Pevensey was the true site of Ande- 
rida. Seven other places have set up their claims to the hon- 
our, but the names of Petrie, Arthur Hussey, Roach Smith, and 
Thomas Wright are arrayed on this side. The arguments are 
too lengthened for even a pHcis here ; nor is it necessary, as 
the site is now fixed here by common consent. 

After the withdrawment of the Romans from Britain, some of 
the native Britons took up their residence in and around this 
stronghold, from which they were expelled by -3Blla, the Saxon 
invader, and first king of the South Saxons. After the utter 
subjugation of the former, the Saxons gave to this place the 
name of Andredes-ceaster. The siege and subsequent slaughter 
of the poor inhabitants are described by ancient chroniclers as 
dreadful in the extreme. It is not until the year 792 that Pev- 
ensey appears under its modem appellation. It was then given, 
together with Hastings and Rotherfield, by the Saxon Duke 
Bertwald, to the abbey of St. Denis near Paris, in return for a 

* The most remarkable coins ever found here are those of some of the Bactrian 
Kings, Radpluses, Menander, and ApoUodotus, who flourished about 200 years B. C. 
How these relics of a dynasty founded by one of thia Generals of Alexander the Great 
came hither, it is difficult to judge. Discredit has been cast on their discovery, but 
that they were found beneatiii the walls of Pevensey Castle is proved by undoubted 
evidence. See my C/vronioles of Pevensey ^ 2nd edition, p. 4. 



PEVEN8EY. 91 

miraculous cure wrought on him by the bones of St. Denis 
himself, and thoseof others in thatholyplace. Here occurs another 
hiatus until a. d. 1042, but from that date a pretty connected 
history of Pevensey exists. In that year Swane, Earl of Oxford, a 
son of Godwin Earl of £ent, who had been compelled to fly into 
Denmark for attempting an illegal marriage with Edgiva, 
Abbess of Leominster, returning to England with eight snips, 
landed at the port of Pevensey. In 1049, Earl Godwin and hia 
son entered the port and took away many ships. 

The crowning event in the history of Pevensey was the land- 
ing there of William, Duke of Normandy, 28th September, 
1066, a few days previously to his victory over Harold at the 
Battle of Hastings. The particulars of the chain of events con- 
nected with the Norman Conquest belong rather to general than 
local history ; but several papers and notes in " Sussex Archaeo- 
logical Collections'' serve for iQustration. The celebrated piece 
of needlework, known as the Bayeux Tapestry, contains a repre- 
sentation of the landing ad Pevenesae, the drawing up of the 
ships, the disembarkation of the horses and men, and several 
horsemen gaUoping towards Hastings in search of food for the 
army. 

On the partition of the conquered lands, William bestowed 
the Rape of Pevensey (more than a sixth part of the county of 
Sussex) on his half-brother, Bobert, Earl of Mortaigne, or 
Moreton, besides many others in other counties, amounting 
altogether to nearly 800 manors, of which 54 were in Sussex. 
He doubtless restored the outer walls of the Soman Castle, long 
a partial ruin, and added the little, or medieval castle, within 
the enceinte of the older fortification, making it at the same time 
the caput haronice of his Sussex estate. 

In 1067 William returned to Normandy to receive the congra- 
tulations of his ancient subjects, taking with him as hostages 
Edgar Atheling, Archbishop Stigand, and others. He deter- 
mined to sail from the same port at which he had landed, and 
accordingly embarked from Pevensey in the spring of the year. 

Domesday contains a detailed account of Pevensey in 1086, 
It was in the territory of the Earl of Mortaigne. In the reign 
of the Confessor that king held 24 burgesses in domain, the toU 
producing 20s., port-dues 35s., and the pasturage 7s. 3d. rent. 
The Bishop of Chichester had five burgesses, and three priests 
had amongst them 23 — total of burgesses in domain 52. At the 
time of the EarPs succession to the manor there were but 27, 
but twenty years later, at the making of the Record, the number 
arose to 109, and the toll produced £4. Thus it would appear 
that the Normans improved the condition of Pevensey in the 
early days of their rule. The town had a mint^ which is men- 



92 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

tioned. In the remarkable discovery of 26,500 coins at Bea- 
worth, Hants, some years since, there were some struck at this 
place, with the name of the money er — Jelphen-Pepns, 

In 1088, on the death of the Conqueror, the Earl of More- 
ton espoused the cause of Robert, against the usurpation of 
Eufiis. Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, " a great tamer of the English,'* 
espoused the former side, held Pevensey Castle against Rufus, 
and sustained a six weeks' siege, but the Earl was at length 
compelled to succumb to the government of the usurper. He 
survived him, however, and after his death in the New Forest 
was favoured with a remarkable vision. According to Dug- 
dale, " at the very hour that the King received the fatal wound, 
De Mortaigne, hunting in a lonely wood, in a place remote 
from the scene of the accident, was met by a very black goat, 
carrying the body of the King, ' all black and naked, and 
wounded through the midst of his breast.' The Earl adjuring 
the goat by the Holy Trinity to tell him what it was he so 
carried, the goat replied, ' I am carrying your king to judg- 
ment, yea, that tyrant William Rufas ; for I am an evil spirit, 
and the revenger of the malice which he bore to the Church of 
God !' " The Earl was succeeded by his son William, who being 
opposed to the interests of Henry I. was taken prisoner at the 
battle of Tenerchebrai, at the same time as Duke Robert, and 
like that unfortunate prince lost his liberty, his eyes, and his 
patrimony. The last was, in 1104, conferred by Henry upon 
Gilbert de Aquila, grandson of a Norman knight of the same 
name who fell at Hastings. From him the barony of Pevensey 
received the designation of " The Honour of the Eagle," which 
it retained long after the extinction of the family. De Aquila 
was a personal friend of Henry I., and lost three children in the 
shipwreck of the " Blanche Nef," off Barfleur, in which the 
King's son and heir likewise perished on their voyage from Nor- 
mandy. He was succeeded in 1118 by his son Richard de 
Aquila, a turbulent spirit, engaged in war with the English 
monarch, and had his English estate confiscated. He was also 
in arms against the King of France, who retaliated by burning 
his town and castle of Aquila in Normandy. King Henry con- 
doned the offence against himself, but in 1127 he was again 
in open rebellion, and passed over to Normandy without the 
royal license, when his broad lands were again taken from him, 
and the Honour of the Eagle was granted by the King to his 
grandson Fitz-Empress, subsequently Henry II. The annals of 
Pevensey during these troublous times form a kind of epitome of 
English history, its successive lords having been mixed up with 
nearly every great event. In 1144, during the struggle between 
Stephen and the son of Maude, its castle was besieged by Stephen 



PEVENSEY. 93 

in person, who, finding it impregnable by force, reduced it by 
famine. The fortress at this time was under the command of 
Gilbert de Clare. In the treaiy which followed between Stephen 
and Henry, it was stipulated that Pevensey and the other pos- 
sessions of the outlaw, Richard de Aquila, should be settled 
upon WiUiam, son of King Stephen, who held them till 
Henry II.'s accession in 1254. This sovereign with great gene- 
rosity reinstated Richard de Aquila in the honour of Pevensey, 
and the old rebel, growing penitent, gave to the Abbey of Gres- 
tein his manor of Willingdon, the herbage in his forest of 
Pevensey (Ashdown), and the tithes of Pevensey. In 1176 
another Gilbert de Aquila succeeded to the Honour of the Eagle. 
He appears to have been of a more tranquil nature, the only 
mention of him being that he paid £21 17s. 6d. towards the 
fund collected for the redemption of Richard Coeur-de-Lion out 
of the hands of his Austrian captors. In 1195 that monarch 
granted to John de Paleme the custody of the castle gate of 
Pevensey. In 1205 a third Gilbert de Aquila, son of the pre- 
ceding lord, succeeded, but being guilty of many excesses, and 
having gone over to Normandy without royal license, he for- 
feited all his estates, which were never restored to the family. 
He founded Michelham Priory, in the parish of Arlington, temp. 
Henry III. 

In 1208 King John granted to the barons (freemen) of Peven- 
sey, on payment of 40 marks into the Exchequer, license to build 
a new town between Pevensey and Langney, but there is no evi- 
dence of the design having been carried out. In 1216 William, 
sixth Earl of Warenne, was in temporary possession of the 
castle, but having sided with the Dauphin of France against 
King John, the latter sent him a precept to deliver it up to 
Matthew Fitz-Herbert, who was commanded to demolish it, but 
happily that order was not fulfilled. In 1235 Henry HI. granted 
the lordship, on conditions, to Gilbert Marshal, Earl of Pem- 
broke, but he was deprived 24th Henry III., and in the follow- 
ing year he lost his life in a tournament. In 1241 the same 
king granted it to Peter of Savoy, his Queen's uncle, for life. 
In 1264 John, Earl of Warenne, having deserted Henry at the 
battle of Lewes, fied to this castle, which had been committed 
to his charge, and embarked the next day for France. The fol- 
lowing year De Savoy^s troops held out here for the King, and 
Simon de Montfort, son of the Earl of Leicester, besieged it, but 
was compelled to retire. In 1269 the honour and castle were 
settled upon Prince Edward (afterwards Edward I.), and they 
continued in the Crown till temp. Edward III. Among the 
custodians of the fortress during that period we find the names 
of Paleme, Bode, De la Gare, Sassy, and Newente, most of 



94 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

wliom belonged to Sussex families. In 44tli Edward III. that 
monarch settled Pevensey and its dependencies upon John of 
Gannt, " time-honoured Lancaster," and from that time the 
Honour of the Eagle became part of the Duchy of Lancaster. 
The duke granted the office of constable for life to Sir John Pel- 
ham in 1894, and on the usurpation of the Crown by Henry, 
Duke of Lancaster (Henry IV.) Pelham adhered to the son of 
his old master, and landed with him in Yorkshire to oppose his 
cousin Eichard. The Yorkist party attacked Pevensey Castle, 
which was gallantly held out on behalf of her husband and the 
King, 1399, by Lady Pelham, the wife of Sir John. She was 
besieged by many of the forces of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent. 
During the siege she wrote a letter to her husband, stating the 
dangers by which she was beset, and the difficulty she had in 
obtaining provisions. This epistle, which is of great interest, 
has been several times printed, and it is supposed by Ha l la m to 
be the earliest specimen of epistolary correspondence by a lady 
in the English language. 

*^ Strange eventful history" aU this : but there is more yet to 
come. In reward of his eminent services to the Lancastrian 
cause, Henry IV. granted to Pelham and his heirs the office of 
Constable of Pevensey Castle, with the Honour of the Eagle 
and all lands and rights thereto appurtenant. This was in 
1400; in 1405, Edward, Duke of York, being charged with 
abetting the escape of the Earl of March and his brother from 
Windsor, the king committed him to the custody of Sir John, 
who held him prisoner here. The unfortunate prince seems 
to have received great kindness from Thomas Playsted, his 
gentleman-keeper, in the fortress, for in his will dated 1415, 
is this item : " I bequeath to Thomas Pleistede £20 for the kind- 
ness which he showed me when I was in ward at Pevensey." 
Again, in 1419 we have the record of a still more illustrious 
prisoner. Queen Joan of Navarre, the last wife of Henry IV., 
and step-mother of the reigning king, being accused, with her 
confessor, of the practice of necromancy and sorcery, with intent 
to take away the monarches life, she was committed to the 
charge of Sir John Pelham, son of the Sir John before-men- 
tioned. Here she remained prisoner for nine years, until the 
second year of Henry VI., when she was restored to her dower. 
In 1461 Sir William Fynes (who was afterwards slain at Bamet 
fight) was appointed Constable for life ; and ia 1478, 9 the Castle 
and its appendages were settled on Elizabeth, queen-consort of 
Edward IV., for life. 

From this date the records are verjr scanty : the office of 
Constable was stiU existing in 1553, when Eichard Oxenbridge 
held it. In 1587 a survey of the Sussex coast was made with a 



PEVENSEY. 95 

view to its defence against the threatened invasion of the 
Spaniards. In this document, (just published by Mr. Baxter, 
of Lewes) the haven of Pevensey is shown running in a direc- 
tion nearly due east of the Castle. At this point orders are 
made to construct two rampiers, one on each side. Other di- 
rections are given, including one which was happily not carried 
out ; namely that, " The Castle of Pemsey is to be re-edified or 
utterly rased! " In 1650 a survey was made, by the Parliamen- 
tary commissioners. The manor is described as '^ the manor of 
Pevensey, alia43 Pemsey, sometimes styled the honour of Aquila, 
in the parishes of Pevensey, Westham, Haylsham, BexhUl, &c. 
The materials of the old castle are valued at £40." Thanks to 
John Warr, of Westminster, the purchaser, who did not pull 
down these venerable walls ! In 1660 Pevensey was settled upon 
Henrietta, the queen-dowager. It was held as royal property 
until William HI. granted it to the Bentincks, who sold it to 
the Right Honourable Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington 
and Viscount Pevensey. In 1 755 it descended to his son Charles, 
Earl of Northampton, whose daughter marrying in 1782 Lord 
George Augustus Cavendish, Earl of Burlington, conveyed it 
into tiie family of the present noble owner, the Duke of Devon- 
shire, who, among his numerous styles and titles, may write 
himself " Dominus Aquilee." 

For the last two or three centuries the history of the Castle 
has been an eventless one of desolation and gradual decay, 
though its sturdy walls will doubtless remain for centuries to 
delight the artistic eye, and fiimish matter for the retrospective 
philosopher and antiquary. It is worthy of remark that in 1846, 
the Sussex Archaeological Society held their first general meet- 
ing within the walls of this, the most ancient building in the 
county. On that occasion I read a paper which comprised most 
of the main facts mentioned above, which became the basis of 
my little work called the " Chronicles of Pevensey." Some 
years later Mr. Boach Smith, F.S.A., and myself conducted 
excavations here, and the results of our discoveries were pub- 
lished in Vol. vi. of the " Sussex Archaeological Collections," 
but much more folly, in 1858, in a monograph by Mr. Smith, 
whose acquaintance with Bolivian remains is so widely known, 
under the title of " Report on Excavations made on the site of 
the Roman Castrum at Pevensey." To this able production 
reference must be made for minute architectural details, but a 
brief description is given below. 

" Of all the Roman walled Castra in England," observes the 
learned author, " that of Pevensey presents the highest claims to 
our admiration. It is among the largest in extent ; it is the best 
preserved ; and approached either fi*om the east or west its 



96 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

appearance is grand and imposing. The dilapidations not being 
seen, the visitor views it in much the same condition as it pre- 
sented itself to the eyes of the Romans themselves." .... yet 
" fiffceen centuries stand between himself and the builders. But 
this long space of time has passed ; thirty (fifty ?) generations 
of men have gone to dust, while the walls and towers before 
him seem yet only in their maturity, or, at the worst, in a 
vigorous old age. Let him tear aside the ivy that clings to the 
facing of the wall, and he will find the course of the mason's 
trowel marked as freshly as if the tool had smoothed the mortar 
only a few months since ! "* 

The Castle lies westward of the town of Pevensey, between it 
and the pleasant village street of Westham. In shape it ap- 
proximates to an oval, having its longest diameter nearly east 
and west. The outward enclosure (the walls of the ancient 
Anderida), now a pasture-field, contains about 8 J acres. The 
inner fortification or medieval castle, about 1^ acres. The exter- 
nal walls are nearly entire, the greatest hiatits being on the 
south, through which there is a fine view of the Bay. The 
principal enta'ance is at the east end of Westham-street, and is 
flanked with two towers of nearly horse-shoe form. There are 
six other towers of similar shape on the north side, more or 
less ruinated, but still in remarkable preservation. The medieval 
castle is an irregular pentagon, and its gateway is flanked by 
two round towers much dilapidated ; three more towers are stiU 
standing, and the remains of others are traceable. Part of the 
moat remains. The outer or Roman walls are upwards of twenty 
feet high and of vast thickness, and exhibit, in various parts, 
strata of Roman tiles. The Normans evidently added to the 
height of the walls in some places, and one of the towers has a 
remarkable superposition of a Norman structure upon it, which 
was evidently designed as a wateh-tower, as it commands a view 
land-ward over a great tract of country ; but as just intimated 
I cannot enter into the many architectural details of this most 
venerable rum. I must, however, say a few words respecting 
the researches which Mr. Roach Smith and myself made in 
1852. We commenced operations in July, and continued them 
throughout the year. It was proved that the massive flanking 
towers of the gateway, 28 feet apart, had originally been flanked 
by a wall, and that in it was the true porta or grand gate of the 
fortress. Fragments of imbrices or roof tiles from the original 
roof of the gateway were found, with a third-brass coin of Con- 
stantine, and at a higher level a penny of Canute. We next 
opened out a postern or minor gateway passing obliquely through 

* Report, p. 12. 



PEVENSEY. 97 

the northern wall, and to this the name of ^^ Boach Smith's gate'* 
was subsequently given. On the south side, where the waU had 
long since disappeared, we discovered by deep excavations that 
such a defence had originally existed, with a very small postern, 
though it had been a prevalent notion that water in that part 
had been a sufficient safeguard. In Boman times the sea must 
have reached almost as far as the wall. A landslip at this point 
is the probable cause of the disappearance of the fortifications. 
In the " little " or medieval castle, we discovered the foundations 
of the free chapel of Pevensey Castle, which is frequently men- 
tioned in ancient records. It must have consisted of nave, 
north aisle and chancel, with walls thirty inches thick. Below 
the level of the floor of the chancel were found several skeletons, 
one of which having the arm-bones crossed over the chest, is 
presumed to be that of a priest. At the west end of the church 
a font of circular cup-shaped form was found in situ, though 
much fractured, and at the east end the basin or head of a 
pillar piscina of Early English character. A short time pre- 
viously the well of the fortress had been discovered near the 
chapel. It is seven feet in diameter, and steined with solid 
ashlar. From the depth of about fifty feet, many skulls, said 
to have been those of wolves, were brought up, as well as several 
large round balls of sandstone, which were doubtless the pro- 
jectiles discharged in old warfare by the catapult. 

The parish church of St, Nicholas, the patron saint of Pevensey 
and of mariners, consists of nave, chancel, and north and south 
aisles, with a tower on the north side of the north aisle. The latter 
is very low, and supports a shingled spire. The prevailing style 
of the building is Early English, The columns of the nave are 
alternately octagonal and clustered. The chancel arch is lofty 
and acutely pointed. The capitals are beautifully foliated. The 
chancel is very long, with three lancet windows at the east end. 
There are brass plates in the south aisle for Edward Millward, 
1619, and Elinor his wife, 1614, On the north wall of the chancel 
is an elaborate monument with the marble effigies of John 
Wheatley, gent,, 1616, his wife Elizabeth, and Katherine, 
" their only davghter and heire,'' 

The Corporation of Pevensey is a member of the Cinque-port 
of Hastings, and is governed by a bailiff, jurats, and commonalty. 
It comprises the parishes of Pevensey, Westham, and the south 
portion of Hailsham ; originally portions of BexhiU and Wartling 
were included, thus making the liberty, leuga, or lowey, as it is 
sometimes called, almost co-extensive with the Marsh, The 
prison, with a court-house over it, resembles an old cottage. 
There are many peculiar customs and privileges. The corpora- 
tion seal is a very curious piece of antiquity, exhibiting on the 

VOL. II. H 



98 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

obverse an antique ship, and on the reverse two ships in full sail. 
It is probably of the 13th century. 

The decline of Pevensey from its ancient importance to the 
condition of a small village of less than 400 inhabitants, has 
rendered its little municipality the butt of local satire, and many 
anecdotes reflecting upon the assumed ignorance of the natives 
are in existence; one especially, that the grand jury once found 
a prisoner guilty of manslaughter for stealing a pair of leather 
breeches, is a standing jest. These stories, or some of them, 
probably originated with Andrew Borde, once resident here, one 
of the most singular personages of the 16th century, and said 
to have been the prototype of Merry Andrews. He was in turn 
a Carthusian Friar, physician to Henry VIII., a quack-doctor at 
country iaivSy a traveller in many lands, an author on various 
subjects, a court favourite, and a political spy. He finished his 
career as a prisoner in the Meet in the year 1549. See " Worthies 
of Sussex," p. 27. 

[8. A. 0. Corporate seal, i, 21. Custumal of, iv, 209. xviii, 42. 
Bios seal of, found here, v, 205. Watennill in Domesday, v, 271. Henry 
I. at, v, 282. King Stephen at, i, 132. Edward 11. at, vi, 46. Andredes- 
ceaster on, vi, 90. xi, 223. xix, 4. Wise Men of Gotham, vi, 207. 
xyiii, 69, 72, 142. Excavations there by Messrs. Roach Smith and Lower, 
\i, 26b (Lower). Royal Mint, ix, 369. Smugglers, x, 83. Old Cannons, 
xi, 152. Andrew Borde, notices of, xiii, 262. xix, 7. Peyensey Castle 
and Forest, xiv, 41. Muleward (Milward) at Agincourt, xv, 131. Church 
bells, xvi, 220. The Lowey, or Leuga, xvii, 6, 55, xviii, 42. Battle 
Abbey lands, xvii, 55. Pelham family, xvii, 249. Oratory at, xvii, 249. 
Bailiff of and Jack Cade, xviii, 18, 27. Statutes of Pevensey Marsh, xviii, 

42. The Port, xviii, 42. xix, 1. Hospital of St. John the Baptist, xviii, 

43. Catapult balls, xviii, 72. Horsey e, Mankseye, Northeye, Hydneye, xix, 
1,3,4. Swegen (Sweyn) and Beom at Pevensey, xix, 79. The Sussex 
Thane who saw the approach of the Norman Armada, xix, 79. Alured 
gave East Grinstead to Lewes Priory, xx, 145.] 



PIDDINGHOE. 



Vulgo, Pid'nhoo ; a parish in the Hundred of Holmstrow ; Rape of Lewes, 
on the Ouse ; one mile north from Newhaven* Post-town, Lewes. 
Railway station, Newhaven, distant about one mile. Union, New- 
haven. Population in 1861, 208; in 1851, 243. Benefice, a vicar- 
age, valued at £170 ; Patron and Incumbent, Rev. James Hutchins, 
M.A., of St. John's College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1540. Acreage, 2,658. Chief Landowners, The Earl of Chichester, 
and William Waterman, Esq. 

The Anglo-Saxon ho signifies a heel-shaped projection into 
the waiier (Leo) and this name may be Peadk-inga-ho, the * h6 ' 



PLAYDEN. 99 

of the sons of Peada, a well-known Saxon appellative. The geo- 
graphical position of the village justifies the use of the last 
syllable. Piddinghoe belonged temp. Edward IT. to the De 
Warennes ; otherwise its history is obscnre. The three manors 
of Plumpton-Piddinghoe, Horcome, and Harpingden are partly 
in the parish. The church now comprises a chancel, nave, north 
aisle, and a round tower, with an oci»,gonal shingled spire. The 
south aisle and the north and south chapels of the chancel have 
been removed. The interior contains several interesting details, 
the prevailing character being Early English, though portions are 
of late Norman character. The round tower is one of the three 
of that form in the county, all of which stand near the west bank 
of tiie Ouse. Its materii is flint, with small window openings, 
some of which are round-headed. For speculations on the reason 
for this form of tower see Hussey, p. 267. There are inscriptions 
for the families of Faulconer and Waterman. Deans in this 
parish was the seat of the family of Heath in the 16th and 17th 
centuries. On the road-side near the village is a chalk pit, in- 
teresting to geological observers. Piddinghoe produces bricks 
and pottery. A local witticism runs that tiie inhabitants ^^ shoe 
their magpies !'' 

[S. A. C. Magpies shod here I xiii, 210. Bells, xvi, 220. Cade's insur- 
rection, xviii, 24. Ancient relic, xviii, 70.] 



PLAYDEN. 

Domesday, PUidenhain; a parish on the Rother, in the Hnndred of Qold- 
spur ; Rape of Hastings ; distant | of a mile north from Rye, its 
Post-town, Railway- station, and Union. Population in 1811, 223 ; 
in 1861, S05. Benefice, a Rectory, annexed to East Guldeford ; 
Patron, Rev. G. Shruhb ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles Meade Ramus, 
M. A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Regis- 
ter, 1714. Acreage, 1,308. 

The surface has pleasing undulations, and towards East 
Guldeford there is a promontory of rock, caused by the ancient 
washing of the Bother, and called Playden Cliff. Sandrock 
Hill commands a good coast view. The village has the singular 
alias of Sauket^ or Salt-cot^ Street, with reference, it is said, to 
the fisheries of Eye ; but this I much doubt, as similar names 
are found in various parts of the world, remote from sea and 
from salt. The word is probably derived from Sanscrit roots ; 
e. g.y there is a military station at the foot of the Himalayas 
caUed Sealcote. Before the Conquest, Playden was held of the 
Confessor by one Siulf, and here another probability crops up ; 
mav not the name be rendered " Siulf *s cote,'' or habitation P 

^ H 2 



loo HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

After the Conquest the Earl of Eu held it in person, and therer 
was a church. Portions of the manors of Playden-MascaU and 
Play den-Porter lie in the parish. The ancient family of De 
Guldeford and the Abbey of Eobertsbridge had lands here. 

The charitable establishment called the Hospital of St. Bar- 
tholomew of Rye is close outside that town, but in this parish. 
It belonged to the Norman abbey of Fecamp. It was originally 
founded for leprous persons, but when that disease died out, it 
became an almshouse for the poor. In 1379, an inquisition 
shows that one Eobert Burton, master of the hospital, had cut 
down timber and sold crops from the lands of the establishment 
for his own behoof, and to the detriment of the poor inmates, 
who were obliged daily to beg their bread in Eye. After the 
Dissolution the site was granted to Andrew, Lord Windsor. A 
list of the wardens of the house, from 1343 to 1478, is given by 
Mr. Slade Butler in "Sussex Collections," xii, 136 . A free 
chapel here is said to have been given by Henry Vll. towards 
the building of the Chapel of the Virgin in Westminster Abbey. 

The church (St. Michael) includes a nave with aisles, central 
tower with shingled spire, and chancel. The columns of the 
arcades which divide the nave from the aisles are alternately 
round and octagonal. There are memorials for the names of Legg, 
Clerk, and others ; and an incised slab commemorates a Flemish 
brewer of the fifteenth century, with barrels, mash-stick, and 

fork, ^itx m ficfltabe' (Kotnelij; Zoctntannie;, fiftt boer be jiele. — 

" Here is interred Cornelius Zoctmanns. Pray for the soul.'' 
Near the church-yard is an ancient hollow oak, on the top of 
which a tar barrel sometimes served for a beacon. Extensive 
barracks existed at Playden during the French war. 

[S. A. C. Chapel, xiii, 137, 143. Flemish brewer, viii, 337. xiii, 180. 
Idlers apprenticed, xvi, 26. Three church bells, xvi, 220. Hospital, xvii, 
134. Salcote, xix, 167.] 



PLAISTOW. (See Kirdford.) 



PLUMPTON. 

A parish in the Hundred of Street ; Eape of Lewes ; distant about five 
miles north-west of Lewes ; Post-town, Hurst- Pierpoint. It has a 
Railway station. Union, Chailey. Population in 1811, 233 ; in 1861, 
404. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £380 ; in the gift of Trinity 
College, Cambridge ; Incumbent, Rev. W. Woodward, B.A., of that 
College. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 2,423. 
Chief Landowner, the Earl of Chichester. 

The parish lies principally on the northern side of the 



PLUMPTON. 101 

South Downs, the escarpment of which is here very steep and 
lofty. Above it is a kind of " table land'' unusual on these hills, 
called Plumpton Plain, where, according to tradition, some in- 
cidents of the battle of Lewes occurred. On the escarpment is 
a very large cross-patee incised in the turf, and visible at times 
from a great distance. Originally it was bared to the chalk, 
like the celebrated White Horse, and our Wilmington Giant of 
yore, but it is now overgrown with turf. Its origin and purpose 
are aUke unknown. 

The manor belonged to Earl Godwin, and after the Conquest 
to the Earls of Warenne. In later times it was held by the 
great Norman family of Bardolf (many particulars of whom 
are given in Stapleton's " Liber de Antiq. Leg."), and from 
them descended successively to William, Phelip Lord Bardolf, 
Viscount Beaumont, and Lord Hastings. On the attainder of 
this race for their adherence to the Lancastrian cause, it was 
forfeited to the Crown. It was afterwards granted to Sir John 
Eagg, but in 1522 it was vested in the ancient proprietors, who 
had been restored in blood, and then belonged to Elizabeth, 
wife of John, Earl of Oxford, widow of William, Viscount Beau- 
mont, Lord Bardolf. Queen Elizabeth granted it to Sir Nicholas 
Carew, who died possessed of it in 1590. In 1627 Sir Henry 
Delves was lord, and in 1663 Anthony Springett. In the latter 
family it continued until 1763, when it passed by purchase to 
that of Pelham, its present owners. Among the Crown tenants 
of the manor were the Mascalls, who resided at Plumpton Place. 
One of this family, Leonard Mascall, wrote several books on 
rural pursuits, and he is said to have first introduced carp into 
England, placing them in the moat which surrounded his man- 
sion.* He was also a grower of pippins, and a breeder of cattle, 
sheep, dogs, &c. He flourished in the sixteenth century, but the 
date of his death is *unknown. (See " Worthies of Sussex,'^ 
p. 53.) Plumpton Place still retains its moat and its carp, but 
the venerable mansion, shorn of its original importance, is now 
only the habitation of cottagers. 

The church consists of a chancel, nave, with south porch and 
west tower, with shingled spire, and has featuies of Transition- 
Norman, Early English, and Perpendicular work. (Hussey.) 
Within are memorials for the families of Springett, Walker, 
Woodward, and Hampton. The last-named family, now repre- 
sented by the families of Weekes and Borrer, held the advowson 
200 years, John Dudeney, the philosophic shepherd and school- 

* This, however, may well be doubted, as Dame Juliana Bemers mentions the 
fish in her " Boke of St. Alban's," in the previous century. She describes it as a 
^'daynteous fysshe, but there ben but few in Englonde, and therefore I wryte the 
lease of hym.'* 



102 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

master, was a native of this parish. (" Worthies of Sussex/' 
p. 343.) Some curious mural paintings have lately been dis- 
covered in the church. 

[S. A. C. Two watennills in Domesday, v, 271. Mascall, xiv, 222. 
Plumpton Place, xv, 162. Bell, xvi, 220. Celt from, xviii, 66. Homewood 
of, participator in Cade's insurrection, xviii, 29, 40. Church Jand altar 
tombs, xviii, 40. Mural paintings, xx, 198. Flint celt, xviii, 64. Tapestry 
at Plumpton Place, xviii, 73. Springett family, xx, 36, 46.] 



POLING. 

A parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of Arundel ; distant 
three miles south-east from Arundel, its Post-town ; Railway station, 
Angmering, distant about IJ mile. Union, East Preston. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 148 ; in 1861, 203. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at 
iB158 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. T. Trough- 
ton Leete, M.A., of Caius College, Cambridge. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 923. 

As no mention of Poling is found in Domesday, Dallaway 
thinks it was carved out of Angmering, and made a distinct 
hundred at a later date. On the partition of the earldom of 
Arundel in 1244 the hundred and manor of Poling were allotted 
to John Fitz-Alan. In 1381 they were settled upon the newly 
founded college of Arundel. In 1568 Sir John Caryll was lord. 
It was afterwards incorporated with the Michelgrove estate. 
From the Walker family, who held that property, it passed hy 
sale, in 1828, to Bernard-Edward, Duke of Norfolk. A small 
Commandery of Knights-Templars was established here, pro- 
bably on the endowment of one of the Fitz-Alan family. It 
afterwards passed to the Knights-Hospit^ers. A chapel, with 
chambers for three knights, remained, having been used as a 
farmhouse, until about 1830, when it was fitted* up as a private 
residence. A view, as it stood in 1780, is preserved among the 
BurreUMSS. 

The impropriation was given to the Abbey of Almenesche, in 
Normandy, and was transferred in the thirteenth century to the 
nunnery of Lyminster. The vicar is endowed with the whole 
tythes. The church (St. Nicholas) appears to have been partly 
rebuilt about the beginning of the fifteenth century, and com- 
prises chancel, nave, south aisle, and west tower. There are 
Transition-Norman features. TTie passage to the rood-loft is 
still open. There is a half-length brass to SDZEaltet IQabg, vicar 
in the fifteenth century, and an inscription to Robert Dyneham, 
vicar, 1707. For a notice of Eichard Carpenter, 4jhe versatile 
Vicar of Poling, who changed from Komanism to Protestantism 



PORTSLADE. 103 

repeatedly, and was accotinted " a theological mountebank/' see 
" Worthies of Sussex," p. 326. 

. [S. A. C. Lands belonging to Calceto Priory — Tayller of, Fitz- Os- 
mond of — Commandery of, xi, 101. John de Palenges xi, 103. Church and 
manor to Lyminster nunnery, xi, 118. Church, xii, 96. Bells, xvi, 220. 
Arun, tributary of, xvi, 259. Poling church, &c., xviii, 101. Gold British 
coin, found at, xviii, 69.] 



PORTSLADE. 



Domesday, Portslade ; a parish in the Hundred of Fishersgate ; Rape of 
Lewes ; distant from Shoreham, its Post-town, three miles. It has 
a Railway station on the South- Coast line. Union, Steyning. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 358 ; in 1861, 1,103. Benefice, a Vicarage, united 
with Hangleton, valued for the Rectorial Tithes at £260, and Vicarial 
£142 ; Patron, the Earl de la Warr ; Licumbent, Rev. Frederick 
George Holbrook, M. A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1666. 
Acreage, 2,006. Chief Landowners^ Rev. Wm. Hall, and Edw. 
Blaker, Esq. 

This sea-side parish, though only on an average a mile in 
breadth, is four miles long. I have before remarked that in the 
majority of Sussex parishes these oblong dimensions are found, 
and that their general direction is north and south. The village 
occupies a pleasant declivity of the South Downs, and commands 
excellent land and sea-views. The parish contains several man- 
sions and residences, particularly the Manor-House, belonging 
to the Borrer family, Portslade House to the Rev. W. Hall, East 
TTill to Edward Blaker, Esq., and Portslade Lodge to Miss Borrer. 

In Domesday, Portslade is stated to have been held by Osward, 
who also possessed it before the Conquest. It was exempt jfrom 
land-tax, and the owner could change his residence at pleasure, 
and seU his property if he would — a noble instance of the liber- 
ality of Norman times ! In 2nd Henry III., the celebrated 
Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent,* who had married Beatrice de 
Warenne, became possessed of the manor in dower, and in 13th 
Henry HI., Margaret, his daughter, by Margaret his wife, sister 
of Alexander, King of Scotland, was owner. Erom this period 
the manor frequently changed hands, and it has belonged to the 
families of De Grelly, De la Warr, Pelham, Snelling, Edwards, 
Fawkenor, Westbrook, Andrew, Foley, Watson, Davies, Lamb, 
Phillips, andBorren Near the church-yard are the ruins of the 
ancient manor-house, described by Mr. Hussey as " stiU exhibit- 
ing two tolerably perfect double-light round-headed windows. 

♦ This eminent personage is said to have been the greatest subject in Europe. He 
was Chief Justiciary of England and Ireland, Oovemor of the Tower, aud Castellan 
of Windsor. For a fall notice of him see ** Burke's Extinct Peerage/* p. 97, 



104 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Of one the dividing mnllion has a decidedly Norman capital. 
One fragment of wall is three feet three inches thick, and seems 
to have been overthrown by violence." Mr. Hnssey considers that 
the latest date that can be assigned to this rain is the Early 
English period. I shonld regard it as a fiagment of Norman work. 

^e church (St. Nicholas) consists of a chancel, nave, south 
aisle, and west tower. The chancel is Early English, with three 
sedilia and a piscina under trefoiled arches. Other portions of 
the building are in different styles, ranging from Transition- 
Norman to Perpendicular. In 1847 some mural paintings were 
discovered in this church, the subject being the Day of Judg- 
ment. The tower contains three beUs, but not of very ancient 
date. There are mortuary inscriptions to the names of Glutton, 
Edwards, Cooke, Woodcock, Carpenter, Blaker, Borrer, and others. 

It would appear that this parish anciently gave name to a 
&jmlj called De Portslade, as a Ralph de Portslade was accused, 
iu 1303, of an offence against the Abbot of Bayham. Curious 
details of the transaction are given in Vol. xi. of the " Sussex 
Collections." 

Like many other places on the Sussex Coast, Portslade has 
suffered much from the encroachments of the sea. The claim 
of this village to have been the Partus Adumi of Boman times, 
is not well supported, as it has been pretty weU established that 
Bramber is the site of that station. Many Itoman remains have, 
however, been found in the parish. Coppera.s Gap is a hamlet 
of this parish. It is on the road from Brighton to Shoreham. 
The population and houses have greatly increased in consequence 
of the formation of a canal towards Brighton, with a view to 
the supply of that town with coals and other commodities. A 
new district church (St. Andrew) has been erected for the popula- 
tion. Patron, the Bishop of Chichester. 

[S. A. C. Mural paintings in church, i, 161. Ralph de Portslade, xi, 124. 
Church-house and Fuller family, xiii, 47. Roman road, xiv, 177. Church 
bells, xvi, 221. Edwards family, xix, 88. Blaker family, xix, 200.] 



POTNINGS. 

Domesday, Poninges; vulgo, Punnins and Punnuns ; a parish in the 
Hundred of its own name ; Rape of Lewes ; distant six miles north- 
west from Brighton ; Post-town, Hurst-Pie rpoint. Railway-station, 
Hassocks Gate, distant about 4^ miles. Union, Steyning. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 181 ; in 1861, 261. Benefice a Rectory, valued at 
£273, with 19 acres of Glebe and 70 acres in the parish of Pyecombe ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Thomas Agar Holland, M.A, of Worcester Col- 
lege, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 1,643. 

An elaborate account of this parish by the Rector opens 



POYNINGS. 105 

tlie 15tli volume of the " Sussex Collections." The parish gives 
name to a hundred, and is situated partly upon, and partly at 
the base of, the South Down range. It is fiill of romantic 
beauty. In a charter of King Eadgar, the name is written 
Puningas ; the termination ingas means here, as in numerous 
other cases, ofiFspring or descendants ; hence this place must 
have been colonized, in early Saxon days, by some member of 
that race. Whether some such word as Pun or Puna existed as 
a personal name, does not appear. According to Domesday, 
William Fitz-Rainald held Poninges of William de Warenne. 
Earl Godwin had previously presented it to Cola. It was as- 
sessed under both at eight hides, but paid no land-tax. The 
arable was thirteen plough-lands ; there were two ploughs in 
the demesne and twenty-five villeins, and eight bondmen hav- 
ing fifteen ploughs. There were a church, two ministri, two 
mills, fifty acres of meadow, and a wood of forty hogs. In the 
time of the Confessor it was valued at £12, and was, at the date 
of the Survey, worth but £10. This description clearly refers 
to a much larger area than that comprised within the limits of 
the modem Poynings. Fitz-Eainald was son of Eainald, second 
brother of Robert de Pierpoint, Lord of Hurst-Pierpoint. Temp. 
Stephen, its possessors took the name of De Ponynges, and the 
family, afterwards ennobled, held the manor during nearly three 
centuries, and for eleven generations in the male line. The 
first of the family ennobled was Sir Michael, who was sum- 
moned to Parliament in 1294 as Baron de Ponynges. His 
son Thomas was summoned to Parliament by King Edward 
m. in 1337. In 1339 he perished in a great sea-fight with 
the French near Sluys. His son followed the standard of 
the same monarch in all his foreign wars from 1339 to 1355. 
He was created a Knight-Banneret at Cressy, and was present 
at the surrender of Calais, and also at the battle of Poic- 
tiers.' He died in 1369, having jointly with his wife founded 
the existing church of Poynings. In his will, proved in 1369, is 
the following noticeable bequest : *' I demise to him who may 
be my heir, a ruby ring, which is the charter of my heritage of 
PoyningSy together with the helmet and armour which my 
father demised to me." Thomas, 4th Baron Poynings, who was 
bom at Slaugham, where the family appear to have possessed 
an estate, carried out the rebuilding of the church in accordance 
with the wish of his parents. He died without issue, and his 
brother Eichard succeeded. The latter was summoned to Parlia- 
ment 1382-5 ; attended the Black Prince in his campaign in 
Spain; and died of disease at ViUalpando in Leon. His son 
Eobert, bom in 1380, succeeded to the barony. He served in 
France under Kichard II., with 30 men-at-arms and 60 archers. 



106 HISTOKY OF SUSSEX. 

and later, under Henry IV., V.^ VL, with 60 men-at-arms, and 
180 archers, and was indeed, both in war and diplomacy, one of 
the greatest men of his time. He died in 1446. His eldest son, 
knight of the shire for Sussex, died before his father, in 1430. 
He had a son and a daughter; the son predeceased him, and the 
latter, Eleanor, on the death of her grandfather, the last Baron, 
became his heir. She married Sir Henry Percy, son and heir of 
Henry, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, thus conveying a very ex- 
tensive estate into that illustrious house. The successive Barons 
de Poynings formed alliances with numerous important families, 
but now the name became extinct in the elder male line. The 
barony of Poynings merged in the superior dignity, and has 
ever since formed one of the subordinate titles of the Earls and 
Dukes of Northumberland. Sir Henry was summoned to Parlia- 
ment in his wife's barony, and so continued until 1455, when 
he succeeded to the paternal Earldom. He espoused the Lan- 
castrian cause, and fell while commanding its forces, at Towton 
fight in 1461. Thenceforward the Poynings blood was lost in 
the still more illustrious name of Percy. There were other per- 
sons of historical distinction collaterally descended from this 
ancient race. Sir Edward Poynings, K.G., who flourished under 
Kings Henry VLL and VIH., was grandson of Eobert, the 6th 
Baron. He was Lord-Deputy of L:eland, and caused a series of 
laws of a highly beneficial kind to be enacted in the Lish Parlia- 
ment of 1494, 5, assimilating the Lrish laws to the English. His 
code was long known as " Poynings' Law,'' and was only re- 
pealed at the close of the last century. He was a great warrior 
and a thoughtful statesman. Lloyd, in his " State Worthies," 
says of him : " A serious and plodding brow bespoke this noble 
knight's deep prudence, and a smart look his resolved valour ; 
who was a man vastly different in his publick capacity from 
what he was in private employment — 

* Quemquam posse putas mores narrare fuhiros ? 
Die mihi, si fias ta leo, qualis eris.* " 

He held important trusts at Boulogne, Toumay, and in the 
Cinque Ports, and was much connected with state employments 
iu the court of Henry VIII. His illegitimate son, Sir Thomas 
Poynings, also distinguished himself in military affairs, and was 
successively Marshal of Calais and Governor of Boulogne. In 
1545 a second barony of Poynings was created in his favour, but 
he died shortly afterwards without issue, and the title expired 
with him. 

In 1535 Algernon, 6th Earl of Northumberland, sold this 
estate to Henry Vm., who granted it in exchange for other 
manors, to his favourite. Sir Anthony Browne, K.G., ancestor of 



POYNINOS. 107 

the Viscounts Montague, and in that family it continued until 
its extinction, and it is now vested in the Crown, under the 
Commissioners of Woods and Forests. 

Mr. Holland gives in his paper a fiiU ecclesiastical historj 
of the parish. The church (Holy Trinity) was in the patron- 
age of the Earls of Warenne, who gave it to Lewes Priory. A 
chantry of ancient foundation, dedicated to St. Mary, was long 
associated with the rectory. Its founder, doubtless one of the 
Lords Poynings, cannot be identified ; but the 70 acres of land 
in Pyecombe, still attached to the rectory, and called the 
chantry, no doubt supplied the revenue of that foundation. 
The church is a cruciform building of beautiful and striking 
aspect — very superior in the ensemble to most of the churches 
of the district. Its large embattled tower, with its spacious 
nave, chancel and transepts, form altogether a cathedral-like 
group, very pleasant to behold. It is constructed of chalk 
and rubble, and cased with dressed flints. The dressings are 
chiefly of the yellow sandstone still dug in the district, and 
the original roofing was of Horsham stone. The interior is 
grand in its proportions. Pour noble arches support the tower, 
and the east window is a striking object. The north transept 
is known as the Montague Chapel, and the south as the 
Poynings Chapel. The latter was long walled off, and in fact 
consigned to almost utter darkness, damp, and decay, as if the 
last resting place of a long line of chivalrous and pious lords of 
Poynings were a thing of nought ! Thanks, however, to the late 
Dr. Holland, rector, and Hugh, 3rd Duke of Northumberland, 
this state of things was changed in 1842. Old monumental 
stones were replaced near their original sites, but they cannot 
be identified with any ofthe particular personages whose remains 
they covered. There are traces of brasses, and embossed crosses 
on SQme of them, but the only one whereof the inscription can 
be read has on it a memorial in Lombardic characters to the 
^^ JBamette tie lSi%%t\f de la Bor. . J^ It had a floriated cross and 
shield, but these, with the brass letters which formerly passed 
round the verge ofthe stone, have been torn away by sacrilegious 
hands. Of the connection of this " Damette (or unmarried 
lady) with the baronial family nothing is known. Over the 
chancel window, outside and over the porch, are the arms of 
Poynings. Some of the few encaustic tiles remaining have the 
arms of Richard, king of the Romans, brother of Henry HI. In 
the chancel are three sedilia and a piscina under ogee arches, 
with'a^hood moulding. In a window of the north transept is a 
representation in ancient glass of the Annunciation. The font 
is octagonal, with ogee panels, and coeval with the church. 

Of Poynings Place, the old baronial mansion, few remains 



108 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

exist. It was probably deserted on the extinction of the family, 
and the Percys and Montagues had greater houses elsewhere. 
A drawing by Grimm in 1780, in the Burrell Collections, repre- 
sents a lofty tower, a relic of the original edifice, and traces of 
terraces and avenues may still be noticed by the antiquarian 
eye. In 1727, a great part of the then existing remains was 
destroyed by fire, and in 1824 what remained of the tower fell 
down, so that it may now be said of this once noble fabric — 

" Etiam periere ruinaB." 

In this parish is the remarkable chasm of the South Downs, 
known as the DeviVs Dyke^ which looks almost like a work of 
art. So accurately are its sloping sid^s shaped, that we might 
imagine that some gigantic power had been employed to cut a 
cleft or gorge through the solid hill. Connected with it is an 
earthwork called the " Poor-man's wall," evidently a corrup- 
tion of other words. The entrenchment is oval, and nearly a 
mile in circumference. The fact of a few Roman coins having 
been found here does not disprove a much higher antiquity. 
Prom the summit of the DyKe Hill there is a view hardly equalled 
in the South of England. It is said to embrace, under favour- 
able lights, portions of six counties. Certainly the grand Weald 
is no where seen to greater advantage, while southward there is 
an extensive seaboard view, including Brighton, Shoreham, 
Worthing, and, occasionally, the Isle of Wight. On this height 
is an inn called the Dyke-House, which is the constant resort 
of pleasure parties from Brighton. The great geological chasm 
is popularly ascribed to the agency of Satan. Let our Sussex- 
loving antiquary, the late Mr. William Hamper, P.S.A., tell the 
story ; for, although " decies repetita, placebit." — 

" Five hundred years ago or more, or if you please in days of yore, 
That wicked wight 'yclept Old Nick, renowned for many a wanton trick, 
With envy, from the Downs beheld, the studded Churches of the Weald ; 
Here, Poynings cruciform, and there, Hurst, Albourne, Bolney, Newtimber, 
Cuckfield and more, with towering crest ; Quce nunc prcescribere longum est ; 
Oft heard the undulating chime, proclaim around twas service time. 
' Can I, with common patience see, these churches, and not one for me 7 
Shall I be cheated of my due, by such a sanctimonious crew V 
He muttered twenty things beside, and swore that night the foaming tide. 
Led through a vast and wondrous trench, should give these pious souls a drench! 
Adown the West the Steeds of Day hasted merrily away. 
And night in solemn pomp came on. Her lamp a star— a cloud her throne. 
The lightsome Moon she was not there, but deck'd the other hemisphere. 
Now with a fit capacious spade, so large, it was on purpose made, 
Old Nick began, with much ado, to cut the lofty Downs in two ; 
At every lift his spade threw out a thousand waggon loads, no doubt 1 
Oh I had he laboured till the morrow, His envious work had wrought much 

sorrow. 
The Weald, with verdant beauty graced, o'erwhelmed, a sad and watery waste I 
But so it chanced, a good old dame, whose deed has long outlived her name, 



PRESTON EPISCOPI. 109 

Waked by the cramp at midnight hour, or just escaped the night-mare'B power. 
Rose from her humble bed, when lo 1 she heard Nick's terrible ado ! 
And by the starlight faintly spied this wicked wight, and Dyke so wide 1 
She knew him by his mighty size, his tail, his horns, his saucer eyes ; 
And while with wonderment amazed, at workman and at work she gazed, 
Swift cross her mind a thought there flew, that she by strategem, might do 
A deed which luckily should save her country from a watery grave ; 
By his own weapons fairly beating the father of all lies and cheating I 
Forth from her casement in a minute, a sieve, with flaming candle in It, 
She held to view : — and simple Nick, who ne'er suspecting such a trick, 
(All rogues are fools) when first his sight a full orb'd luminary bright 
Beheld - he fled— his work undone— scared at the sight of a nert Sun, 
And muttering curses that the day should drive him from his work away I 
Night after night, this knowing dame watched — but again Nick never came I 
Who now dares call the action evil, To hold a candle to the Devil /" 

[S. A. 0. Encaustic tile, iii, 239. Parish register extracts, iv, 279. 
Domesday watermills, v, 271. xv, 53. De Poynings family, xi, 58. xiv, 
182. XV, 5. Koman road, &c., xiv, 178. Parochial history (^oZ/anc?), xv, 
1. An ancient Andrew de Borde, xv, 6. xv, 24. Percy family, xv, 11. 
Earls of Northumberland, ibid. Church, xv, 22, 236. xvi, 311. Inscrip- 
tions in church-yard, xv, 231. Earthworks and Devil's Dyke, iii, 173. xv, 
55. Bells, xvi, 221, 311. Beard, Rev. George, xv, 231. xviii, 161. 



PRESTON EPISCOPI. 



Domesday, Frestetone ; vulgo, Press'n ; a parish in the Hundred of its 
own name ; Rape of Lewes ; a mile north of Brighton, of which it 
may be considered a suburb. Union, Steyning. Population in 1811 ; 
429 ; in 1861, 1,044. Benefice, a Vicarage, with Hove annexed, 
valued at £300 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, 
Rev. Walter Kelly, M.A., of Caius College, Cambridge. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1556. Acreage, 1,286. 

It is beautifully situated in a dale near the north-east out- 
skirts of Brighton, and contains, besides Preston Place (the 
manor-house), many excellent residences. The Brighton cavalry 
barracks and water-works are in the parish. At no distant 
date the village will become, like Hove, part and parcel of the 
great town of Brighton. A new building scheme has been ab- 
surdly called Preston«?e7fe .^ The origin of the name is obviously 
Priests' ton or habitation, and as it formerly belonged to the 
bishops of Chichester, it was for distinction's sake called Pres- 
ton Episcopi. Prestetone is assessed, in Domesday, at 20 hides, 
the arable, 12 plough-lands ; 30 villeins with 20 bondmen had 
12 ploughs. There was a church, with 15 acres of meadow and 
a wood of 2 hogs. The manor extends into several parishes, 
contiguous and remote. The descent of the manor is obscure. 
In 26th Henry VIII, the demesne lands were demised to Edward 
Elderton, gentleman. In 34th Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Shirley, of 
the Wiston family, became seised, and in that family it long re- 



110 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

mained. Sir Richard Shirley, Bart., who died in 1705, demised 
it to his three daughters and co- heiresses. Ultimately Thomas 
Western, who had married one of them, became sole proprietor. 
His grandson, Charles Callis Western, Esq., in 1794, sold the 
estate for £17,600, to William Stanford, Esq., in whose represen- 
tatives it now vests. 

The church (St. Peter) is small, and though, as Mr. Hussey 
remarks, it has only chancel, nave, and small western tower, 
and possesses little ornament ^^it is an interesting building, 
being entirely in one style — ^the Early English, without the ad- 
mixture of any other.^' The east end has three lancet windows 
within a large arch. In the north wall of the chancel is a 
sepulchral monument, the brasses of which are lost, with a Per- 
pendicular altar-tomb, for one of the Shirley family, richly 
carved. In the south wall are a piscina, and three sedilia of 
diflferent grades, all under trefoUed arches. In "Archaeologia,'' 
Vol. xxiii, the Eev. Charles Townsend describes some mural 
paintings in this church, which are still visible. The principal 
subject is the murder of Thomas h Becket, and from the costume, 
&c., the date of this rude art is the time of Edward I. There are 
also figures of the Saviour, and several saints. In this church 
lie buried the remains of Francis Cheynell, D.D., the great Pres- 
byterian controversialist, and the foe of ChilKngworth; (see 
" Worthies of Sussex," p. 309), and in the church -yard is the 
tomb of the Eev. James Douglas, author of " Nenia Britannica " 
and various other works. He died iu 1819, one of the ablest 
antiquaries of his time. 

[S. A. C. Shirley family, xiv, 114, 232. xix, 63, 161. Church bells, 
xvi, 221. Church, xix, 63, JElrington family, xix, 64.] 



PULBOROUGH. 



DomeBday, Poleberge ; vulgo, Pvlher; a parish in the Hundred of West 
Easwrith ; Rape of Arundel ; distant six miles from Petworth. Post- 
town, Petworth. It has a Railway station on the Mid-Sussex line of 
the Brighton Railway. Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 
1,613 ; in 1861, 1,852. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £1,750 ; 
Patron, Lord Leconfield ; Incumbent, Rev. William Sinclair, M.A., 
of St. Mary Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1595. 
Acreage, 6,398. It is a market town. 

Few names of places have a clearer etymology than this. It 
is Anglo-Saxon, pul, a pool, and byrig^ an encampment, and 
applies well to the position of the parish. The village is a long 
street on the banks of the Aran, and contains a considerable 
population. That portion which is near the church is consider- 



PULBOROUGH. Ill 

ably elevated, and commands an excellent prospect. The ancient 
wooden bridge which foiTaerly crossed the Aran, was replaced 
nearly eighty years since by the present structure of stone. 

Domesday informs us that in the time of the Confessor, Oluric 
held the manor, while, at the making of the Record, Robert held 
it of Earl Roger de Montgomeri. The land was 16 hides, and 
there were 36 villeins, 16 cottars, and 9 serfs. There were two 
churches, two mills, and two fisheries. Temp. Edward Conf . it was 
estimated at £16; afterwards at £22. With this important manor 
were connected those of " Nordborne,'' and " Nitinbreham," 
which extended into the Weald. John de Gatesden held two 
knights' fees in Pulberg of the Honour of Arundel. In 1290 
Henry Hoese or Huss^, haCving married Joan, daughter of Alard 
le Fleming, of Newbridge in Pulborough, succeeded to part of 
the estate, while Walter de Lisle having married Florence, 
another co-heiress of Alard, obtained from the King free warren 
in their manor of Pulborough, with a fair to last three days at 
Newbridge. The Huss^s and Lisles held the manor in joint 
tenure till 30th Henry VI., when Edmund atte Milne or Mille 
succeeded to one moiety. Nicholas Apsley, of the Thakeham 
family, succeeded through the heiress of Mille. In 1694 Anthony 
Oneley x)Ossessed one third part of the manor, which passed to 
the Shelieys, and the last John Apsley of Pulborough sold the 
other two-thirds to Henry Shelley, Esq., of Lewes, about 1732, 
and in that family it remained until the extinction of the Lewes 
Shelieys a few years since. 

NoRDBORNE or NuTBORNE, another manor and tything, lies 
partly in this parish and partly in West Chiltington. Two free- 
men held it of the Confessor, and after the Conquest Robert held 
it of Earl Roger, and Warin of him. It was an important manor, 
as it was rated at six hides, had two mills, 20 villeins, 4 cottars, 
and a wood of 12 swine. It was valued at £7. The family of 
La Zouche held it down to the year 1400. In 1545, Henry VIII. 
granted it to Henry, Earl of Arundel. Its 48 customary tenants 
now hold it under the Earl of Abergavenny. (Cartwright.) 
" Nitinbreham '^ was held before the Conquest by Lewin, " who 
might go whither he would.'' Afterwards Roger held it of the 
Earl, and Alwardof him. There were 16 viUeins,3 cottars, and 
a wood for 10 swine. 

Pulborough formerly contained several ancient seats, the prin- 
cipal of which Cartwright enumerates thus : — 1, Mille Place, the 
seat of the MiUes — site unknown ; 2, Combe-lands, the abode of 
a family of that name, who preceded Mille ; 3, Lodge Hill, in 
Pulborough Park, the residence of the Le Flemings,^ and afler- 

♦ Edward II. permitted Alard le Fleming to rebuild his house in Pulborough Park, 
destroyed by fire, but not to embattle it. 



112 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

wards the property of the Husseys and Lisles ; 4, Old Place, 
which belonged successively to the Apsleys, Moses, and Cole- 
brookes — there are some picturesque remains of this mansion ; 
6, New Place, belonged successively to the Apsleys, Peacheys, 
and Barttelots. The bam belonging to this house has Early 
English windows, and is supposed to be of the time of 
Edward I. Pulborough is an ancient site, and many traces of 
Celtic and Boman possession have been brought to light. Mr. 
P. J. Martin, in Vol. ix. of the " Sussex Collections," gives a 
notice of a British settlement discovered by himself on Nut- 
bourne Common, now enclosed, about the year 1819. On an 
elevated part of the Common there were two depressed circular 
barrows, measuring respectively 80 and 90 feet, which, on exa- 
mination by Messrs. Martin and Cartwright, were not found to 
contain any interments. There were circular depressions in the 
centre, and the exterior rim of the circle exhibited the peculi- 
arity of foundations of a wall of stone four feet thick. Several 
relics of undoubted British manufacture were discovered ; and 
the conclusion arrived at by Mr. Martin is, that these barrows 
were the dwelling-places of human beings — perhaps the pri- 
meval hunters, who sought their game in what must then have 
been a well- wooded country. 

Many Roman remains have been discovered here. The Stane- 
street, which ran from Regnum, (Chichester) to London, passes in 
a straight line 3^ miles through this parish, and has never ceased, 
since Roman times, to be the common highway. Its course 
through Pulborough commences at what was the old ford of the 
river Arun, and runs to Hadfoldsherne in the neighbouring 
parish of Billingshurst. There were probably several military 
stations on or near this via, and some indicia of considerable 
interest have been discovered within the present century, but 
before particularizing these, I should mention that there is, at 
no great distance from the village on the west, a circular mound 
of earth, mostly artificial. It is surrounded by a vallation, and 
there are slight traces of a building. Other remains were found 
here, but as they have not been preserved, nothing which could 
indicate the date of this little fort or castellum is ascertained. 
As it commands the ford of the river, and a wide view of the 
surrounding country, it was probably a watch-tower. The late 
eminent West Sussex geologist, Mr. P. J. Martin, F.G.S.,^ 
minutely examined the Stane-street in its passage through this 
and other parishes, and the following notes are from his paper 
in the " Sussex Collections.'^ At Homestreet, a short distance 
to the north of the east end of Pulborough street, are consider- 
able indications of a remarkable township, or assemblage of 

* See ante. 



PULBOROUGH. 113 

Soman buildings. The most notable of these is a circular 
mausoleum, situated on a slight elevation in a field called 
Huddlestone. The area is forty feet, and it is surrounded by a 
wall llj feet thick. Part of these walls has been grubbed up 
for the sake of the stones." When the plan of this mausoleum 
was laid bare it was declared that there were few equal to it out 
of Italy. At a short distance from this, at Broomer^s Hill, four 
pigs of Soman lead were discovered just below the surface. 
They are stamped with the inscription icltepvtbrexabg, which 
has been interpreted to mean Tiberius ClaudiuSy TribunituB Poles- 
tatis Britannice Rex. Some distance to the north is Borough farm, 
where very extensive buildings have been traced out, with con- 
siderable fragments of tesselated pavement and coloured stucco. 
Near at hand is a quarry, from which the stone of Pulborough 
church is said to have been taken, and from which there is little 
doubt the Romans drew materials for Bignor, and for the sar- 
cophagi found at Avisford and elsewhere. In digging for foun- 
dations close to the village of Pulborough, fragments of Soman 
tile are turned up, as also Soman coins which have passed cur- 
rent both here and at Billingshurst as halfpence. All these 
discoveries tend to prove that, although not strictly a Soman 
station, Pulborough must have been rather thickly peopled with 
'^ the conquerors of the world." 

The church (Our Lady of Assumption) is beautifully situated 
on a hill of sandstone, and has a picturesque appearance. It 
has an arcade with clerestory windows, forming two aisles, and 
these, as well as the tower, Cartwright believes to have been 
built temp. Henry IV. or Henry VI. There is a square embattled 
tower at the west end, of the same date. The chancel is of 
much earlier date, being the sturiving portion of the original 
edifice. It contains three sedilia of equal height, and two slabs 
of Sussex marble despoiled of their brasses. The whole interior 
is particularly neat and appropriate. At the south-west of the 
church-yard there formerly stood a sepulchral chapel (Our Lady) 
belonging to the family of Mille. Towards the end of the last 
century it was taken down, when the slabs and brasses were 
placed in the chancel. A lych-gate has been erected at the 
entrance of the church-yard from the street, and has a pleasing 
appearance. The brasses removed from the chapel were figures 
of (jfimunli ^ille, Gentilman, 1452, and Matilda his wife, and 
a plate for IK^JcJati iWJlle, their son and heir, 1478. There is 
a beautiful brass of an ecclesiastic in the habit of a canon of Chi- 
chester, surmounted by a canopy for Cf)0!5l« I^SltlSttS^ rector of 
Eingwode and Polberg, 1423. There a^e other memorials for the 
families and names of Apsley, Coles, Legg, Spragg, Marriott, 

VOL. II. I 



114 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Onely, Cobb, Tredcroft, &c. There are five bells, one of which 
is dedicated to St. Catherine. 

At Newbridge there was a chapel which has long since been 
destroyed. It was dedicated to St. Helen. 

[S. A. C. Four watennills, V, 271. Visit of Edward II., vi, 49. British 
settlement, ix, 109. Roman stone quarries, xi, 130, 143. xix, 130. Roman 
mausoleum, xi, 141. Roman road, xi, 139, Roman pigs of lead, remains 
of tesselated pavement, and remains at Nutboume, xi, 143. Ancient fort, 
xi, 144. De L'Isle, xii, 35. Newbridge fair (1279) and Newbridge Wm. 
of, xii, 35. The Bridge there, xix, 158. Newbridge chapel, xii, 85. New- 
bridge House, and Alard le Fleming, xiii, 106. Church, xii, 96. Martin 
Peter J., xiv, 11. xvi, 52. Parish charity, xvi, 37. Apsley of, xvi, 50, 291. 
xix, 93. Church bells, xvi, 221. Old Place, xvi, 291. Nutboume stream, 
rivers Arun and Rother and the Bridge, xvi, 257. Mille family, xvii, 110. 
Mille place, xvii, 111. Bookers of, xix, 94. Road to London, xix, 157. 
Mulseys in, xix, 158. Pulboro' conmion and Wickford Bridge, xix, 158.] 



PYECOMBE. 

A South-Down parish in the Hundred of Poynings ; Rape of Lewes ; 
distant six miles north from Brighton ; Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint ; 
Railway station. Hassock's Gate, distant about 2^ miles. Union, 
Cuckfield. Population in 1811, 175; in 1861, 283. Benefice, a 
Rectory, valued at £345 ; Patron, the Lord Chancellor; Incumbent, 
Rev. John Morgan, M.A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1561. 
Acreage, 2,249. 

The village occupies one of the numerous valleys of the 
South Downs, whence the last syllable of the name. ITie parish 
is boldly undulated, and has in some places copses of underwood. 
It includes the conspicuous promontory called Wolstonbury, a 
Saxon designation signifying the " stronghold of Wulstan." 
From this elevation not only the Weald of Sussex, but the Surrey 
hills, and even a portion of Kent, can be clearly seen. Pye- 
combe is not mentioned in Domesday, but Pangdean is found 
under the orthography of Pinhedene. In 40th Edward HI. this 
manor was held of the barony of Lewes by the service of keep- 
ing in repair the pales of Cuckfield park. It was included in 
the De Warenne grant to Edward II., yet Alice, sister of John, 
last Earl de Warenne, conveyed it in marriage to Edmund, Earl 
of Arundel, and his descendant, the Duke of Norfolk, is still lord 
paramount. In 1693 Sir Anthony Browne, Viscount Montague, 
died seised of it, and on the extinction of the male line of that 
family in the last century it lapsed to the Crown, and it is still 
held under a Crown lease. 

Pyecombe, which from its chalky soil and good position should 



PYECOMBE. RACTON. 115 

be a very healthy spot, has at different periods suffered severely 
from pestilence. It was visited by the plague in 1603, 1638, and 
1678, and in the last great visitation of cholera several of the 
inhabitants died. 

The church is a small ancient building of chancel, nave, and 
small low tile-capped tower at the west end. Its single bell is 
inscribed to St. Catherine. Hussey thinks the tower of Tran- 
sition-Norman date, and the font is very curious and ancient, 
perhaps pre-Norman. The building has been much disguised by 
ill-applied " restorations." There are memorials for the names 
and families of Scrase (seventeenth century) and Barrett, Bysshe, 
and Beaumont (rectors). Sir Lewis Beaumont, Bart., was rector 
from 1702 to 1738. There are also two coffin-shaped slabs with 
crosses for earlier rectors. In the church-yard is a rudely con- 
structed altar-tomb, with the date 1603. It is traditionally said 
to be to the memory of Mr. Hollingdale, tenant of Pangdean 
Farm. During the prevalence of the plague he betook himself 
to a cave, which he had excavated in the Way Down, a mile 
distant, but returning too soon to his home he took the infec- 
tion, died, and was buried under this memorial. 

[S. A. C. Parish registers and plague, iv, 276. Arrow-head found, 
viii, 268. Bysshe family, xiii, 252. Pangdean, xv, 20. Bell, xvi, 220.] 



RACTON. 

Domesday, Rachitone ; a parish in the Hundred of Westboume ; Rape 
of Chichester ; distant seven miles north-west from Chichester ; Post- 
town, Emsworth. Union, Westboume. Population in 1811, 102 ; 
in 1861, 95. Benefice, a Rectory, with the Chapelry of Lordington 
annexed, valued at £225 ; in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of 
Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Frederick Henry Arnold, B. A. Date 
of earliest Parish Register, 1680. Acreage, 1,180. 

This is a small parish of irregular outline, and borders on 
the west the county of Hants. The soil is that of the South 
Downs, chalk and marl. It is supposed to derive its name from 
Eacon, a little " lavant/^ or intermittent stream, which flows 
through it. The village is unimportant. Fulco held the manor 
of the Confessor, and Ivo of Earl Eoger. It was rated at five 
hides, and had eight vUleins with 13 bondmen, and a wood of 
four hogs. Its Domesday value was £4. In 1284 Hugh Zan- 
zaver was lord, and in the sixteenth century it came into the 
possession of the family of Gounter, or Gunter, from Gilleston, 
in Wales. It passed from that family in 1764, by an heiress, to 
William Legge, second Earl of Dartmouth. 

I 2 



116 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

LoKDiNOTON, the Hnrditone of Domesday, is an ancient hamlet 
and chapeby in this parish. It is described as in the hundred 
of Guidenetroi, was rated at four hides, and had eight villeins, 
seven bordars, and a wood of three hogs. After the Conquest 
it was granted to Earl Roger de Montgomeri, and one of the two 
knights' fees passed in succession through the families of De 
Albini, Tatteshale, Eomaine, De Lisle, and Bramshott. Towards 
the end of the fifteenth century, Lordington becam e th e pro- 
perty of Sir Richard Pole, E.G., a cousin of Henry VJLl., who 
is supposed to have built Lordington House. The mansion was 
reconstructed on the old site in the seventeenth century, and 
retains some of the original features, particularly an ancient 
staircase. From the illustrious and historical house of Pole it 
passed in succession to the families of Lumley, Jermyn, Peck- 
ham, and Phipps. 

The church contains a mural monument to a member of the 
Gunter family, who, with his wife and four sons and two 
daughters, are represented in a kneeling posture, St. John the 
Baptist standing in the centre. There is another monument to 
the Gunter family, with two kneeling figures, and a third has a 
bust of Sir Charles Gunter Mchol, K.B. Several slabs in the 
Gunter chapel are to the memory of members of the same family. 
There are two beUs. 

Bacton was the residence of Colonel George Gunter, a faithful 
adherent to the cause of Charles 11., who had the honour, after 
the battle of Worcester, of conducting the King across the 
country to Brighthelmston, whence the latter escaped safely to 
Fecamp, in Normandy. 

[S. A. 0. Gunters of, v. 48. xvi, 129, 266. xviii, 116. Lordington 
House {Arnold), v, 180. xvi, 266. Domesday mills, v, 271. Church, xii. 
76. Bells, xvi, 221. Ems, or Emille river, xvi, 266. xviii, 186. Bacon 
river, xviii, 186 ] 

BINGMEB. 

A parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of Pevensey ; distant 
three miles north-east from Lewes, its Post-town and Railway station. 
Union, Chailey. Population m 1811, 1,066; in 1861, 1,622. Be- 
nefice, a Vicarage, valued at £400 ; Patron, the Archbishop of Can- 
terbury, it being one of his Peculiars ; Incumbent, Rev. Edward 
Synaonds, B.A., of Worcester College, Oxford. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1660. Acreage, 6,626. Residences, Middleham, 
Mrs. Constable; Delves House, the property of Sir Charles R. Blunt, 
Bart. ; The Elms, Major Harwood ; Park Gate, W. Alexander, Esq. ; 
Wellingham, Miss Rickman. 

The hundred to which this parish gives name is one of the 



RINGMER. 117 

oldest on record in the county, being mentioned in very early 
documents of Saxon times. About the time of EIng John, when 
the College of South Mailing was remodelled, the manor was 
divided into three beadlewicks, viz., Sanseombe, Framfield, and 
Eingmer, and these beadlewicks, in the time of Henry VIII., 
became distinct manors. In 3rd tfames I. the manor of Eing- 
mer (Broyle Park excepted) was granted by the King to Edward, 
Earl of Worcester, and Sir Eobert Johnson, by whom it was sold 
to Sir John Sidley and Sir George Eivers for £8,440. The 
same year it was sold for a similar sum to Thomas, Earl of Dor- 
set, in whose heirs it still vests. 

Broyle Park, deriving its name from the low Latin bruilliumy 
a heathy plain, was long a park belonging to the Archbishops of 
Canterbury, who had a mansio or resting-place here when on 
their pastonil visits into Sussex. It was of great extent, pro- 
bably of 2,000 acres, about 500 of which were in Framfield 
parish, and had a splendid herd of deer. Temp. Elizabeth it 
was taken possession of by the Crown. At a later date the 
Broyle was in the hands of the family of Springett, who dwelt 
at Broyle Place from the earlier part of the seventeenth century, 
and were afterwards baronets. Sir William Springett took an 
active part in the Civil Wars on the side of the Parliament, and 
was in command at Arundel in 1643, where he died. For a most 
interesting account of his death, written by his wife, see " Sussex 
Archaeological Collections," vol. xx, p. 34. Broyle Place was a 
large rambling mansion of many gables, but it is now shorn 
down to the proportions of a farm house. The park has long 
been converted into arable land, and no traces of its timber and 
underwood remain. Near its ancient pale is a wayside inn, 
called the " Green Man,'' which was kept about a century since 
by a person who had been a parkeVy and the sign, which I re- 
member, represented a stalwart man in his forester's suit of 
green. The Broyle is now a favourite spot for steeple chases, 
which are held annually. The surface of the parish of Eingmer 
is remarkably flat and unpicturesque, although the village itself 
is neat and interesting, surrounding an open space called Eing- 
mer Green. Close adjoining is an old residence known as Delves 
House, which was, in the last century, a favourite resort of 
Gilbert White of Selbome, from whence he dated many of the 
letters of his charming book. The old pine grove, whither cross- 
bills and others of the feathered nation did resort, still exists 
near the church yard. The soil of the parish, especially on the 
Broyle, is gault — excellent for the brickmaker — and it is worth 
notice that specimens of copper ore have been dug up here. 
This is " not geologically right," but it is true, as I can prove.* 

• I am also prepared to prove that rich copper ore has been found in a chalk 
catting close to Lewes. Impossible, says Geology : truth, say I. 



118 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

The roads in this parish were formerly so intolerably bad that it 
is said that the Springetts of Broyle Place were formerly drawn 
to church in their carriage by a team of eight oxen. There were 
foniierly artillery barracks in this parish. Eingmer Park, now 
disparked, was, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the seat 
of the family of Thatcher, who intermarried with the ChaUenors, 
Lewknors, Pelhams, Gages, &c, and were afterwards of Priest- 
hawes, in Westham. 

The church (St. Mary) consists of chancel, nave, north and 
south aisles, with a modem wooden beU-turret over the west 
end. On each side of the chancel there is a manorial chapel, 
the appropriaton of which I cannot discover — ^probably the 
Broyle, and Eingmer park. Each contains a piscina. The pre- 
vailing style is Perpendicular. This church is very rich in mor- 
tuary memorials for the names and families of Springett, Whal- 
ley. Campion, "Wynne, Tyro (a painfull preacher), Sadler, Snooke 
(second daughter of Eev. Gilbert White, of Selbome), whose 
husband Henry, " post vitam difficilem hie quiescit," Shadwell, 
Plumer, Jefferay, Crunden, Howell, and Elliott. The most in- 
teresting monuments are those of Mr. Jefferay and Sir WiUiam 
Springett, both of the 1 7th century. Altogether this is a veiy 
interesting parish. 

[S. A. 0. Parish register extracts, iv, 286. Springett of Broyle, v, 67. 
xiv, 161. xviii, 175. xix, 160. xx, 34 {Lower), Ancient ring, Lx, 373. 
Barcary lands, xiii, 46. Jefferay family, xiy, 222. Thatcher family, xv, 
162. xviii, 23, 38. Broyle park, xv, 162. River Ritch, xv, 163. Church 
bells, xvi, 221. Jack Cade, xviii, 25. Going to church with oxen, xix, 
160. Fitzherbert family, xix, 175. Whalley family, xx, 45. Civil mar- 
riages at Glynde, xix, 202. Charities of, xx, 84. New family, xx, 88.] 



RIPE or RIPE, alias ECKINGTON. 

(A portion of the parish was known, within a few years, 
as " Eckington Corner.'') 

Domesday, Rype; a parish in the Hundred of Shiplake ; Rape of Pev- 
ensey ; distant three miles from Berwick station, and seven east of 
Lewes ; Post-town, Hawkhurst. Union, West Firle. Population, 
in 1811, 331 ; in 1861, 361. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £431 ; 
Patron, Exeter College, Oxford ; Incumbent, Rev. R. Shuttleworth 
Sutton, M.A., formerly of that College. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1520 and 1538. Acreage, 1,120. Chief Landowners, Sir 
James Duke, Bart., and W. D. Weeden, Esq., of Hall Court. 

This is a flat alluvial parish near a branch of the Ouse 
and probably received its name from its being on the ripa or 



EIPE OR RYPE. 119 

bank of a river, once much more important than now, when the 
Ouse was a great estuary. There is a strong mineral spring in 
the parish called the Red ditch. There is a tradition of a vil- 
lage near the south-west boundary. In the Domesday survey 
Rype is mentioned as being in Edluestone hundred, which 
partly coincided with the modem hundred of Shiplake. Before 
that time it was one of the very numerous manors held by 
Harold, and was assessed at 23 hides, 8 of which were detached, 
and lay in the rape of Hastings. There were 10 plough-lands, 
16 villeins, and 8 bondmen, with 8 salt-pans. Temp. Confes- 
soris it was worth £12, afterwards only £8. After many changes 
of possession the manor came into the possession of Reginald 
West, Lord de la Warr, of whom a memorial still exists in the 
window of a small house in the parish, in the shape of the 
" chape " of a sword — a badge won at Poictiers, for the capture, 
under the Black Prince, of King John of France. Temp. Philip 
and Mary, the Earl of Rutland sold the manor to Sir John 
Gage. 

The rectory anciently belonged to Lewes Priory. The church 
(St. John the Baptist) is a remarkably good and symmetrical 
building of no great size, and principally in the Decorated style. 
It consists of nave and chancel, with a square western tower,- 
over the west door of which is the badge of the Pelham Buckle, 
so familiar in this district. The windows — the eastern one is 
particularly handsome — were formerly filled with painted glass ; 
and emblems of the Evangelists, or portions of them, still exist. 
There are inscriptions to the names of Williamson, Acton, and 
Plumer. The family of Acton were resident here for at least 
three centuries ; and at Hall Court the family of Lulham were 
very ancient. Li close proximity to the modem residence are 
traces of the ancient abode of -the Lulham family. At Mark- 
Cross in this parish, in the direction of Laughton, formerly 
stood a wayside cross dedicated to St. Mark, and in the latter 
parish, at a spot not far distant, was another called Stone 
Cross. 

Opposed to the theory of geologists that copper ore should 
not appear in any stratum of this county, that metal has been 
found in the gault formation on Mr. Weeden's land, as also in 
the neighbouring parish of Ringmer, and I have even found it 
in the chalk formation close to Lewes. 

[8. A. C. Ancient name, xiv, 211. xv, 163. Eckington manor, xiv, 
211. Salt-pans, xiv, 211 xv,163. Lulham family, xiv, 213. xviii, 25, 39. 
Jefferay and Martin families, xiv, 219, 232. Our Lady of Pity, xiv, 219. 
XV, 65. The river Ritch, xv, 163. Church bells, xvi, 223. Jack Cade's 
adherents, xviii, 25, 39. Hall Court, xviii, 39. Bronze relic, xviii, 69. 
Civil marriages at Glynde, xix, 202. Benefice belonged to Lewes Priory, 
XX, 141.] 



120 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

ROBERTSBRIDGE. 

A hamlet and small town in Salehurst, containing a large 
proportion of the population of that parish. It formerly pos- 
sessed a chapel, dedicated to St. Catharine, and a holy well 
under the same invocation. In the old " coaching" times, this 
town was well known to travellers. At present it contains little 
of interest, except the ruins of its ancient Abbey, which, lie some- 
what to the east. 

From the fact that Robertsbridge stands on the river Rother, 
here crossed by several bridges, it has been erroneously conjec- 
tured that the original name of the place was Rotherbridge. 
But the real etymology is Pons Robertiy " the bridge of Robert" 
(de St. Martin), the founder of the Abbey. 

The history of this establishment has been well investigated 
by the Rev. George Miles Cooper, M.A., assisted by the previous 
researches of the Rev. E. Venables, M.A., and by a remarkable 
discovery at Penshurst Castle (the seat of.Lordde Lisle,) of 
nearly 200 documents relating to the monastery, by the Rev. G. 
R. Bossier. (^* Sussex ArchsBological Collections," Vol. viii.) 
The manner in which his lordship acquired them will be found 
in the sequel. The Abbey was of the Cistercian order, and 
dedicated to St. Mary. There is little doubt that Robert de St. 
Martin was the founder in 1176, though that honour has been 
claimed for his descendant, Alured de St. Martin, who, with the 
benefactions of Alicia his wife, seems to have so enlarged the 
establishment as to have become the reputed founder. Certain 
it is that the earliest seal of the house hitherto discovered has 
the legend, *^de Ponte Roherti;^^ and it is worth noting that the 
counter-seal contains a representation of the Abbey-church, with 
a bridge of three arches close by. 

The original endowment consisted of all the lands, tenements, 
tenants, and services, which the founder held of Geoffiry de St. 
Martin and his heirs in the Rape of Hastings. Subsequent 
benefactors gave, or the monks themselves purchased, other 
manors and lands in the adjacent parishes of Pett, Guestling, 
Icklesham, Playden, and Iden. One of the earliest benefactors 
was Alicia, Countess of Eu, daughter of Adeliza, Queen of Henry 
I. Other members of this noble family conferred lands in Snar- 
gate, Worth, and Coombden, adjoining the Forest of Brightling, 
Sedlescombe, and Ewhurst, together with a prebend in the 
church of St. Mary of Hastings. Other lands were subsequently 
acquired in Fairlight, Promhill, Catsfield, Dallington, Burwash, 
Ivy church, Echingham, Sutton (now in Seaford), Hellingly, Chid- 
dingly, Waldron, Beckley, Mountfield, Bexhill, and many other 
places. Among the benefactors, besides the De St. Martins and 
the Earls of Eu, were the families of St. Leger, De Socknerse 



R0BERT8BRIDGE . 121 

(in Brightling — a branch of the St. Legers), Lnnsford, De Pos- 
singworth, De Herst, De Scotney, Alard, and De Abrincis. The 
mnltitudinous deeds, &c., above referred to, contain records of 
many law-suits in which the convent was concerned during 
several centuries. The rights of the monks as to lands were 
much infringed by neighbours with whose interests those of 
the former clashed. Even (as Mr. Cooper thinks) their very 
books were not safe, as there is in the Bodleian Library a MS. 
bearing this inscription : — " This book belongs to St. Mary of 
Eobertsbridge : whosoever shall steal it, or sell it, or in any way 
alienate it from this house, let him be anathema maranatha/' 
John, Bishop of Exeter, into whose hands the book fell, asserts 
that he acquired it in a lawful way, and states that he does not 
know " where the aforesaid house is I" For farther interesting 
particulars respecting the Abbey I must refer to Mr. Cooper's 
elaborate paper ; but one or two facts deserve special mention. 
Kings Edward I. and II. paid hasty visits to this monastery in 
their journeys in the South. 

In 1192, when it was understood that Bichard Cceur de Lion 
had been imprisoned on his return from Palestine, the Abbots 
of Eobertsbridge and Boxley were sent as lords-justices to ascer- 
tain the place of his detention. They travelled over great part 
of Germany, and at last found him at large at Oxfer, in 
Bavaria. 

This foundation suffered the common fate of religious houses 
in 30th Henry VIIL, when its revenues amounted to more than 
£270 — a large sum at the period, and probably representing 
about £2,600 at the present value of money. Two years later 
the site was granted to Sir William Sydney.* His successor. 
Sir Henry Sydiey, Knight of the Garter, and Lord-Deputy of 
Ireland, was father of Sir Philip Sydney, the illustrious soldier 
and scholar, author of the " Arcadia," and of Mary, who mar- 
ried Henry, Earl of Pembroke, the eminent lady immortaUzed 
in the noble epitaph of Ben. Jonson, which cannot be too often 
quoted : — 

'^UDderneath this marble hearse, 
Lies the subject of all verse ; 
Sydney's sister, Pembroke's mother ; 
Death 1 'ere thou hast slain another 
Learned and fair, and good as she, 
Time shall throw a dart at thee." 

I have in my possession a MS. entitled " Eental of Lands, 
appointed for the jointure of Mary, Countess of Pembroke, wife 
of Henry, Earl of Pembroke, and daughter of the Eight Honour- 
able Sir Hemy Sydney, Knight of the Garter,'' &c. These 

• Tanner (Isotitia) says that at the Dissolution the convent consisted of twelve 
monks ; other authorities say that there were but nine, including the Abbot. 



122 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

lands are mostly in the west of England, and in Wales ; but as 
the MS. is bound up as the prefix of a much larger rental re- 
lating to Robertsbridge and other places in Sussex, Kent, and 
Hampshire, I conceive that a portion, at least, of the possessions 
of our abbey, became the property of the learned and beatitifal 
lady aforesaid. They were possessed by the Sydneys, Earls of 
Leicester, until 1720, and in 1725 the property passed by pur- 
chase to Sir Thomas Webster, of Battle Abbey, at the cost of 
£28,000. At a later period it belonged to the family of Allfrey ; 
but of the exact descent I have no particulars. 

Of the few remains of this ancient Abbey, as now existing, 
the principal architectural features are the crumbling walls of 
the church in the farm-yard, and a kind of cottage farm-house, 
beneath which is a crypt in good preservation, and a portion of 
the refectory. In the church some members of the ancient 
families of De Bodiam, Dalyngruge, Pelham, and others had 
sepulture under stately tombs ; but these, alas I have disappeared. 
The utilitarian age which succeeded the Reformation consigned 
them to viler uses, and the few relics which survive to our age 
are but the meagre debris of good medieval art. The mutilated 
effigy of the once potent founder of Bodiam Castle, Sir Edward 
Dalyngruge, dug up in 1823, is now in the Museum at Lewes 
Castle. Wben, about the year 1830, 1 first visited this venerable 
site, I found, and preserved sketches of, several mutilated carved 
stones, with crosses, &c., together with an inscription to Wil-, 
liam Bodiam, of very early date, probably of the 13th century ; 
the arms and " buckle " of the family of Pelham, and several 
other heraldric remains. On my next visit, a few years later, I 
found that most of these had been broken up for the mending 
of neighbouring roads I 

The Robertsbridge estate during the proprietorship of the 
Sydneys possessed several iron and steel works ; and furnace 
ponds and forge ponds are mentioned in the MS. above referred , 
to. 

[S. A. C. Iron works, iii, 241, 246. xviiij 15. Visit of Edward I., ii, 
141. Ditto of Edward II., vi, 44. The Abbey, viii, 141. xvii, 55. xviii, 
71. xix, 13. The Abbot in Germany in search of Cceur de Lion ; Hay 
family, xiv, 100. xv, 84. xx, 65. River Rother, xv, 152. Jack Cade's 
adherents, xviii, 25. Glaziers' iron works, xviii, 16. Dalyngruge effigy, 
xii, 223. xviii, 71. London road to Rye, xix, 166.] 



RODMELL. 

Domesday, Ramelle ; a parish on the Ouse, in the Hundred of Holm- 
strow ; Rape of Lewes ; distant 3:^ miles south from Lewes, which 
is its Post-town and Railway station. Union, Newhaven. Popu- 



RODMELL. 123 

» 

lation in 1811, 291 ; in 1861, 292. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at 
£375 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Peter 
de Putron, M.A., of Pembroke College, Oxford. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1704. Acreage, 1,924. Chief LaruJtowner, the 
Earl of Abergavenny, who possesses nearly the entire parish. 

The first syllable was formerly spelt Rad^ and doubtless 
had reference to the military road, " Ermin-street," which 
passed through it. Domesday informs us that Harold held the 
DGianor, and that after the Conquest William de Warenne had 
it in domain, and was assessed for 64 hides. There were a church, 
11 salt-pans (probably on the estuary of the Ouse), and a wood 
of 23 hogs. Forty-four houses in Lewes belonged to the manor, 
which extended much beyond the boundaries of the modern 
parish. It was granted by John de Warenne to Edward 11., and 
subsequently belonged to a family who called themselves from 
it, De Radmeld. Sir Balph Badmeld married, early in the fif- 
teenth century, Margaret, co-heiress of her brother Hugh, second 
Lord Camoys, of Broadwater. His grandson. Sir William Ead- 
myld, died without issue, when the property reverted to his two 
aunts, Elizabeth and Margaret. The latter married John 
Goring, Esq., of Burton, who died in 1496. After nine gener- 
ations this, the elder line of Goring, terminated in Anne Goring, 
who married Richard Biddulph, Esq., of Biddulph Castle, co. 
Stafford, whose elder line became extinct by the death of John 
Biddulph, Esq., of Burton, in 1835. On his decease Thomas 
Stonor, Esq., of Stonor, co. Oxon, claimed as the heir of his 
great grandinother, Mary Biddulph, the barony of Camoys, 
which he obtained in 1839 , after it had been in abeyance 413 
years. In 27th Henry Vlll. George, Lord Abergavenny, died 
possessed of Rodmell, which still belongs to his descendant, the 
Earl of Abergavenny. Northease, another manor, also belonged 
to the De Warennes, and has, probably in the same line, passed 
like Rodmell to the Earl of Abergavenny. It had a chapel of 
chancel and nave, 56 feet in length, some of the masonry of 
which, with mural paintings and carved oak, remained in the 
early part of the last century. The ancient lords of Rodmell 
had a park, of which the name now only exists. Hall Place, or 
Rodmell Place, was bought, in 1686, of Edward Deeds by John 
de la Chambre,Esq., of the Litlington family, whose descendants 
were in possession in 1690. The house, which had traces of 
considerable magnificence, was probably built by John de la 
Chambre, whose arms were to be seen before its demolition, 
some 30 years since, over the entrance of the porch. It after- 
wards passed to the families of Montague and Toghill, and of 
the latter it v/as purchased by the Saxbys, who resold it to the 
Earl of Abergavenny. 



124 HISTORY OF SUSSEX 

On a beautifal slope of the Downs, southward of the village, 
are evident traces of a pre-historic hamlet or village of some 
kind, with several small barrows. 

The church (St. Peter) is a small building, of chancel, nave, 
with south aisle, west tower, and quadrangular shingled spire. 
On the south side of the high chancel is another, which was 
formerly attached to the manor of Rodmell. The building has 
Transition-Norman features, especially in its " diamond frette'' 
chancel arch, and in a curious hagioscope. Additions have been 
made in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, and the 
whole building has been restored by the present Rector. There 
are memorials for individuals of the families of Scottowe, Grundy, 
Griffiths, Gubbitas (rectors), Alchome, Montague, &c. There 
is also a brass plate for a benefactress to the church, ^gatfiat 
iStOft^, wife of John Broke, and daughter of John de Rade- 
melde, date 1433. The other side of the plate has an inscrip- 
tion for John de la Chambre, Esq., 1673. For a notice of 
Henry Godman, ejected from the rectory of this church, temp. 
Charles 11., see " Worthies of Sussex,'' p. 328. 

[8. A. C. John Newman, clerk, a delinquent, v, 39. Dela Chambre 
family, xiii, 258. Roswell, xiv, 254. Manor rents, xiv, 263. Bells, xvi,221. 
Jack Cade's insurrection, xviii, 176. Burials in woollen, xviii, 190-193. 
Brookside, xviii, 191. Shingles on church roof, xix, 42. Gorings badlands 
here, xix, 100. London road to Newhaven, xix, 164, Northease, xix, 164. 
Groyers of Northease, xx, 90.] 



EOGATE. 

A long, straggling parish, in the Hundred of Dumpford ; Rape of Chi- 
chester; distant four miles east from Petersfield, its Post-town and 
Railway station. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 595 ; in 
1861, 990. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £212 ; Patron, the Lord 
Chancellor; Incumbent, Rev. John Simeon Barrow, M.A. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 4,873. /Sea^s, Rogate Lodge, 
Mrs. Wyndham ; Fairoak, Hon. J. Jervis Carnegie ; and Fyning 
House, J. W. Whitelock, Esq. 

This parish, which joins Hampshire on the west, lies on the 
Western Eother, which is crossed by Habenbridge, a structure 
of five arches. It is full of varied and picturesque scenery of 
almost every kind, particularly the spot called Harting Combe, 
the western termination of the Weald, behind which the chalk 
hiUs of Surrey meet the western range of the South Downs, and 
form a kind of amphitheatre of wonderful beauty. Eogate at 
the time of the Domesday survey, was part of the great lord- 
ship of Harting, and it is probable that a fourth hamlet or parish 



ROTHERFIELD, 125 

formerly existed here, called North Harting, in contradistinction 
to South, East, and West Harting. This idea is supported by 
the tradition that a church formerly stood here. Temp. Edward 
IL the manor belonged to the great family of Camoys, from 
whom it descended to the Badmylde, and to the Lewknors. 
Henry Vill. granted it to William, Earl of Southampton. After 
many changes it came, in the earlier part of the preseut century, 
to Lewis Buckle, Esq., of the Westmorland family. Fyning was 
possessed in the 16th century by Peter Bettesworth, and re- 
mained with his descendants for six generations, who also held 
Milland in Trotton, and Chithurst. On an eminence above the 
Rother are some yestiges of a fortified residence within a fosse, 
but of its origin nothing seems to be known. At Bake, in this 
parish, built into the front of a small house, is a large armorial 
stone, with the shield and supporters of the Lords Grey of 
Werke, which was brought from Up-park. 

The church (St. Bartholomew) is small and ancient, with traces 
of Norman work. John BonviUe of Halnaker, 9th Henry VII., 
gave to the Brotherhood of St. Katherme and St. Blaise in this 
church, 13s. 4d., to buy two kine to secure the prayers of the 
guild for ever. 

In this parish is Dubefoed Abbey, an account of which is 
given in another article. 

[S. A. C. Church, xii, 76. Ancient Brotherhood, xy, 61, Bells, xvi, 
221. Kiver Rother, xvi, 259. Rogate, xviii, 94. Fyning House, xix, 169. 
Road from Midhurst to Winchester, xix, 169.] 



ROTHERFIELD. 



Vulgo, Rudderfal ; a parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of 
Pevensey ; distant seven miles south from Tunbridge Wells, its Post- 
town. There is a Railway station in the parish, at Jarvis Brook. 
Union, Uckfield. Population in 1811, 2,122 ; in 1861, 3,413. Bene- 
fice, a Rectory, valued at £1,354 ; Patron, the Earl of Abergavenny ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Alfred Child, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1539. Acreage, 14,733. Chief 
Landowners, Earl of Abergavenny, R. B. Fry, Esq., J. Scott, Esq., 
and the Goldsmiths' Company of London. 

This very extensive and important parish, historically and 
picturesquely interesting, respectively to the archaeologist and 
the artist, occupies an elevated district, Crowborough, within its 
limits, being one of the loftiest spots in the county, and possess- 
ing some liistorical associations. (See Crowborough.) In Saxon 
times it was known as Ritheramfeld and Redrefeld, from the 
circumstance that the river Rother rises here. Rotherfield is, 
perhaps, the principal watershed in this part of England, for, 



126 HISTORY OF SUl!5SEX. 

from a commanding spot, it sends its waters to three rivers, the' 
JRother, debouching at Rye ; the Ouse, which has its outlet at 
Newhaven ; and the Medway, which, joining the Thames, flows 
into the German Ocean. The first-named river rises in the cellar 
of the residence called Rother-House. When the Ouse joined 
the English Channel at Seaford, before the formation of the 
" New-Haven " at the village previously known as Meeching, 
that river bore the alias of Saforda^ and Rotherfield, although 
contributing only a small stream to it, is described as " upon the 
river Saforda " ( Super Jluvium Saforda) in very early documents. 
Riderfeld was at an early period the possession of a Saxon Dux, 
or chieftain, called Bertoaldus, who falling sick, and being in- 
curable by neighbouring physicians, went to the great monastery 
of St. Denis and St. Elutherius, near Paris, whose bones were 
working mighty marvels for diseased persons. Here being folly 
restored to health, he procured a few of their holy relics, brought 
them to Rotherfield and dedicated a church to St. Denis, in 792, 
which dedication still remains, and the older inhabitants of 
Rotherfield remember the legend of their patron : — 

*^ Saint Denis had his head out gS. ; 
He did not care for that ; 
He took it up and carried it 
Two miles without a hat I" 

Among the " folk-lore " of the district is the notion that the 
women of this parish, being often taller than those of the neigh- 
bourhood, possess an additional pair of ribs ! Such witticisms 
abound in this part of Sussex, but to return to sober history, 
the vill of Ritherhamfeld was bequeathed by King Alfred to 
his kinsman Osforth. The next mention we have of it is in 
Domesday, where we learn that Earl Godwin was lord, and that 
it was taxed for only three hides, the remainder having probably 
been (as it long afterwards was) in the condition of unprofitable 
forest land. There were, however, 26 ploughlands, and in de- 
mesne four more, with 14 villeins, with 6 borderers owning 
14 ploughs. There were a park (See Erant), and a wood of 40 
hogs. In the time of Edward the Confessor it was worth £16, 
but afterwise realized £30. From 18th Edward 1. to 8th Edward 
II. the manor was held by the noble family of De Clare. After- 
wards it was in the possession of the Le Despencers, firom whom 
it passed to the Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick, and so to the 
Nevilles, with whom it has remained, in the same line as Eridge, 
the Earl of Abergavenny being the present lord. Rotherfield 
rectory is another manor, and is sometimes called Dowlands."^ 

• William Dowland, several centuriefl since, is said to have endowed the church 
with this manor, the demesne of which was 3G6 acres. The glebe is now estimated 
at 110 acres, but the rector is charged with £100 per annum for the newly-formed 
district of Eridge-Green. 



ROTHERFIELD. 127 

AlckomCj a third manor, gave name to a family, formerly of 
considerable importance in Sussex. They resided at Eotheiield 
temp. King John, and their descendants, now chiefly in humble 
life, are still numerous in the county, under the name oiAXLcorn 
and AUtTi^m/ The heraldic visitation of 1634 mentions the exis- 
tence of the ancient coat of the Alchornes in the church. A 
gentle family named Luck were connected with the parish during 
the 16th and two following centuries. The family of Permor, 
originally from Picardy, in the reign of Edward HI., were 
among the principal inhabitants, and dwelt at Welches or 
Walshes for more tiian two hundred years. The manor derived 
its name from the family of Walsh, who were afterwards of 
Horeham in Waldron. The original house was on a different 
site from the present, and a moated enclosure remains. The 
present house was built by Alexander Fermor, and Elizabeth 
Fowle, his wife, in the 16th century. Over the hall door, when 
T last visited it, were their initials, A.x. F. and E. F., with the date 
1551. The names of Luck and Fowle are still existing in East 
Sussex, but in a lower social position. For the Fermors, Baro- 
nets, see art. Cbowbobough. Walshes was some time in the 
family of Moon, and Mr. Robert Burgess Fry was lately pro- 
prietor. Mr. Fry had a minor manor within the precincts of 
Ashdown Forest, or Lancaster Great Park, which he held of the 
Duchy of Lancaster by fealty, and the payment of two roses, 
emblematical, perhaps, of the Lancastrian badge. A few years 
since, and perhaps still, the representative of the Duchy made 
a periodical visit to the old farm or manor-house, and snipped 
off two roses from a tree in front of the building, which he put 
into a button-hole of his coat, and walked away. 

The history of Eotherfield church is interesting : it dates, as 
we have seen, from a. d. 792. When the Dux Bertoald founded 
it, he made a charter (see Monasticon) describing it as " the 
church which I have constructed on my estate in the vill called 
Eidrefelda, which I have inherited from my ancestors ;" and he 
adds that, if any one shall attempt to seize, diminish, or usurp, 
anything from the monks (of St. Denis) he will have to answer 
to Almightj'^ God, the King of Ages, when He shall come in -His 
majesty and that of His holy angels, and when the wicked will 
go into everlasting punishment, &c. From the Monasticon (vi, 
1053) it appears that the French monks founded a small convent 
as a cell to their house in connection with this church, or rather 
with Frant, which was then dependent on the mother church of 
Eotherfield. (Hussey's *' Churches,'^ 276.) This establishment, 
however, appears to have been of no importance, and, apparently, 
it did not survive the Norman Conquest ; for either temp, Wil- 
liam I. or II., Earl Gilbert de Clare gave this church to Roch- 



128 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

ester cathedral. The present building, occupying a commanding 
height, is a beautifdl object in the scenery of the district. It 
has, what is very unusual in Sussex, an embattled tower sur- 
mounted by a shingled spire, which is light and of elegant pro- 
portions. It is of rather large size, with Early EngUsh and 
later features, and contains five bells, the tenor of which is sup- 
posed to weigh 36 cwt. ; two of the others have inscriptions in 
Old English characters. There are memorials to the names of 
Powle, Threele, Vintner, Luxford, Wickham, Fermor, &c. The 
chancel contains sedilia and a piscina, and on the north side of 
it is a chapel which formerly belonged to the noble family of 
Neville, with their arms and cognizances. The walls were an- 
ciently painted, and a representation of the martyrdom of St. 
Lawrence is now visible. There are interesting churchwardens' 
accounts dating from the reign of Henry VIII. 

[8. A. C. Iron- works at, ii, 215. Domesday watermill, v, 271. Fowle 
family, ii, 54. xi, 12. xiv, 228. xvi, 30. Cheese, xiii, 229, note. King 
Alfred's will, xiii, 241. Early incumbents, xiii, 306. Source of the river 
Rother, and of a branch of the Ouse, xv, 151. xvi, 272. xv, 161. Moon 
of Walshes, xvi, 48. Church bells, xvi, 141, 221, 206. Four of the Cat 
family steal the Archbishop's deer, xvii, 120. Shingles on church, xix, 42.] 



ROTTINGDEAN. 



Domesday, Rotingedene ; a parish in the Hundred of Younsmere ; Rape 
of Lewes ; distant four miles east from Brighton, its Post-town. The 
Railway stations of Brighton and Falmer are each distant about four 
miles. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 559; in 1861,1,016; 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £332 ; Patron, the Earl of Aber- 
gavenny ; Incumbent, Rev. Arthur Thomas, M. A., of Trinity Col- 
lege, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 
3,630. /Scafs, Wottondean, Mrs. Strangways. The late Charles Beard, 
Esq., owner of much land in the district, also resided here. 

The parish lies entirely upon the South Downs, and has a 
cliflF frontage on the English Channel. It takes its final syl- 
lable from one of the numerous denes or valleys, which afford 
so graceful a variety to the Downs. The village is in the dene, 
and contains several agreeable residences. Many sea-side visi- 
tors frequent it in summer. The sea encroaches considerably, 
and within the memory of man it has been necessary to form three 
roads in the direction of Brighton, each previous one having 
given way to these incursions of the ocean. An indent or " gap," 
in the cliff which terminates the dene, once afforded the French 
facilities for landing here. This was in 1377, and Capgrave, the 
old chronicler, gives the following account of the event : — " In 



EOTTINGDEAN. 129 

the same yere they londed in Southsex fast by a town cleped 
Eotyngdene, and ageyn him went the Prior of Lewes (John de 
Cherlieu), and there he was taken, and with him two knytes. 
Sir Jon Fallisle (Fawseley of Hamsey), and Sir Thomas Cheyne, 
and a sqwyere, Jon Brocas (of Sherrington)." This little battle, 
which Lord Bemers calls " a sore scrimysshe," took place on 
the Downs in the direction of Lewes, that town being the object 
which the invaders had in view. A hundred Englishmen lost 
their lives, but the vigorous efforts of the Lewes army repulsed 
the Frenchmen, who gained no other booty than the Prior, the 
two knights, and the squire, from whom however they probably 
extorted heavy ransoms. 

At the epoch of Domesday, Rottingdean was held by one 
Hugh of William de Warenne ; it had previously been in the 
possession of Earl Godwin. The manor was included in the 
great grant of the Earl of Warenne to Edward 11. Since 1738 
it has belonged to the Earls of Abergavenny. Balsdean, another 
manor, was part of the estates of Lewes Priory. In 1st of Eliza- 
beth Thomas Gratwicke was lord, and it was subsequently in 
the hands of the Shirleys and Burrells : it now belongs to 
the Beard family. This family is one of the oldest in the South 
Down district, and the name has been associated with Rotting- 
dean for some centuries. The old manorial chapel of Balsdean 
has long been desecrated, and is now used as a stable. It has 
slight Norman and Decorated features. Pebbles of chalcedony 
and agate from the sea shore of this parish are turned to account 
by the lapidary. 

The church (St. Margaret), though Early- English, seems to 
stand on Norman foundations. At present the building consists 
of nave, chancel, and central tower with pyramidal cap, and a 
south aisle, lately rebuilt; the church was restored in 1855. 
There are memorials for the names of Beard, Pelling, Savage, 
&c. A mural monument commemorates the Rev. Thomas Red- 
man Hooker, D.D., who was vicar here for many years, and pre- 
pared for the Universities many young men, who became in the 
lapse of time eminent for their learning and abilities. Among 
them may be named the late Duke of Wellington and Archbishop 
Manning. 

[S. A. C. Enamelled copper found at, v, 105. Church, ix, 67. Pendrell 
of, X, 189. French invasion, xii, 42. xiii, 233. Beard family, xiii, 126. 
xvi, 79. Tumulus at, xv, 243. Bell, xvi, 222. Goring of,xix, 100. New- 
haven to Shoreham, xix, 164.] 



VOL. II. 



130 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

RUDGEWICK ; sometimes written Rudgwick. 

Vulgo, Ridgich ; a parish in the Hundred of West Easwrith ; Rape of 
Arundel ; distant seven miles north-west from Horsham, its Post- 
town ; it has a Railway station on the Horsham and Guildford 
branch. Union, Petworth. Population in 1811, 837; in 1861, 1,068. 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £260 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chi- 
chester ; Incumbent, Rev. B. J. Drary, B. A., of Lincoln College, 
Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1539. Acreage, 5,830. 
Chief Landowners^ the Duke of Norfolk, John King, Esq., Captain 
Bunny, and John Napper, Esq. 

The name of this considerable parish, as Dallaway observes, 
is taken from the elevated position of its village, the Anglo- 
Saxon Rig-wic. The subsoil is sandstone, and in some parts 
there are beds of Horsham stone. The parish includes a con- 
siderable amount of woodland. The village stands upon a 
pleasant eminence with an extensive prospect. Several houses 
near the churchyard are within the manor of Polingfold, in 
Ewhurst, Surrey. (Dallaway.) The manor of Dedisham, in 
Slinfold, extends over a large part of the parish. Belonging to 
this manorial estate there was anciently a large iron foundry 
(with a hammer-pond), which according to tradition was de- 
stroyed after the taking of Arundel Castle by Sir William Waller, 
who dispatched a party of soldiers for that purpose, when the 
iron-master and several others were killed. (Dallaway.) A 
similar destruction of iron-works by Waller's troops is said to 
have taken place in St. Leonard's Forest. The manor of Hope, 
which included the estates of Ockenden and Howick, was 
granted by Henry VIII. to the family of Caryll, and passed 
through the families of Shelley and Goring to the present owner. 
King Henry III., in the 44th year of kis reign, granted a charter 
to Alard le Fleming to hold a fair in Eudgewick on the eve, 
feast, and morrow of the Holy Trinity, to whom the church is 
dedicated. The principal estate in Eudgewick was for many 
generations possessed by the old Sussex family of Naldrett, and 
is called Naldrett Place. The estate ultimately descended, in 
the last century, after several lawsuits, to the family of Piggott. 

The church was in ancient times endowed with 63 acres of 
arable and woodland, and the impropriator has an ecclesiastical 
manor. In the fifteenth century Edmund Mille, Esq., founded 
a chantry of St. Christopher, called for some reason the Salmon 
Chantry y in Arundel Church, the revenues of which were prin- 
cipally derived from this impropriation. The following is the 
description given of the church of Eudgewick in 1832 : — " The 
church is situated upon the ridge, and is of a better construction 
than most others in this division of the county. It consists of 



ROUGHEY. RUMBOLDSWYKE. 131 

a nave, divided from a north aisle by a pointed arcade, with 
labelled windows, in which remains of ricbly stained glass are 
still seen. The tower at the west end is large, and likewise the 
chancel, which has demonstrations of an earlier era. In it are 
three stone stalls, or sedilia, with plain, round arches and an 
embattled top ; and likewise a table tomb, at this time illegible/* 
(Rape of Arundel, p. 388.) The building is dedicated to the Holy 
Trinity, and there are six modem bells. 

[8. A. C. Church of, xii, 98. Naldrett, xvi,50. River Aran, xvi, 256. 
Honey-lane and Rowhook, xix, 158.] 

ROUGHET. (See Horsham, of which it is a small hamlet.) 

RUMBOLDSWYKE. 

Domesday, Wiche; vnlgo. Week; a small parish in the Hundred of Box 
and Stockbridge ; Rape of Chichester ; distant one mile from Chi- 
chester, its Post-town and Railway station. Union, West Hamp- 
nett. Population in 1811, 269 ; in 1861, 582. Benefice, a Vicarage, 
valued at £246 ; Patrons, Dean and Chapter of Chichester ; Incum- 
bent, Rev. Stenning Johnson, B.A., of Merton College, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1669. Acreage, 645. 

This parish, rather populous for its area, includes the 
** Hornet/' a suburb of Chichester. It was part of the earldom 
of Roger de Montgomeri, and passed to the De Albini family, 
and from them to the Fitz-Alans. In much later times John, 
Lord Lumley, possessed it, and it passed, as Stanstead, to Lewis 
Way, Esq. Another manor was held by the Bjiights-Hospi- 
tallers. Henry Viil. granted this to Sir Thomas White. In 
23rd Elizabeth, Francis Bowyer held it of the Crown, and since 
that date it has belonged successively to Cawley, Farrington, 
Barwell, Dally, and Padwick. 

The church is said to be dedica+iCd to St. Rumbold, and there 
are two Rumwolds in the Roman calendar; but I think this 
ascription rests only upon a presumption founded on the name 
of the parish. Rumbold is much likelier to have been the Saxon 
proprietor than the patron saint. The building is small, consist- 
ing of chancel and nave, with bell-turret at the west end. This 
church is one of the Dean's Peculiars. In 1866 the building 
was enlarged by the addition of an aisle ; and during the re- 
pairs traces of Roman tiles, probably from Regnum (Chichester), 
and herringbone work, were disclosed. The original church was 
in all probability pre-Norman. 

[S. A. C. Bell, xvi, 222. Roman urns found at, xvii, 255. Knights 
Hospitallers' lands, xx, 27.] 

K 2 



132 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

RUSHLAKE-GREEN. 
A hamlet of Warbleton. 



RUSPER. 

A parish in the Hundred of Singlecross ; Eape of Bramher ; distant five 
miles north-east from Horsham, its Post-town. .Railway station, 
Favgate, distant about three miles. Union, Horsham. Population 
in 1811, 450; in 1861, 590. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £202 ; 
Patroness, Mrs. Greene ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry James Gore, MA., 
of Merton College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1560. 
Acreage, 3,126. Chief Landowners, Robert Henry Hurst, Esq., 
M.P., and Messrs. Broadwood. Seat, Nunnery, G. Gossett Hill, Esq. 

This is a well-wooded parish on the Forest Eidge, the village 
street forming the watershed of tributaries of the Mole and the 
Arun. The farms are small, and some of the yeomanry are of 
considerable antiquity. According to tradition the family of 
Mutton have possessed the lands called Normans from the Con- 
quest. A gentry family named Gardiner resided here in the 
16th and 17th centuries. Lands bearing their name now belong 
to what is called Dog Smithes charity. 

A NxTNNERT dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene existed in this 
parish. It was founded in or before the 12th century, as Mr. 
Way supposes, by one of the De Braose family, among whose 
vast possessions Eusper was included. It was of the Benedictine 
rule, and the constituents were called Moniales Nigrae. Seffiid 
IL, Bishop of Chichester (1180-1204), confirmed to the sisterhood 
the churches of Eusper, Wamham, Ifield, and Selham. About 
1231, John de Braose augmented the possessions by the gift of 
the church of Horsham. No other endowments appear to have 
been made, and the establishment fell into poverty and decay. 
In 1484 it is described as in a state of ruin, though this was not 
literally the case, as the revenues amounted at the Dissolution 
in 1535 to £39 14s. 6d. What remained of the conventual 
buildings was soon after destroyed. Queen Elizabeth granted 
the site to John Cowper, and it was subsequently the property of 
a family of Stone, one of whom in 1717 sold it to Sir Isaac Shard, 
a person so proverbially avaricious, that Hogarth introduced his 
portrait into his picture, " The Miser's Feast." His son, ayoung 
man of spirit, called on the painter, and drawing his sword cut 
a hole in the canvas. " Nunnery " was held by this family until 
William Shard, Esq., aliened it in 1791. After passing through 
several hands it was purchased by Thomas Sanctuary, Esq., 
High Sheriff, in 1 830. Many interesting documents relating to 



HUNTINGTON. RUSTINGTON. 133 

this establislmient have been printed by Mr. Way, S. A. C, Vol. 
V. The house built on the site of the Nunnery was a timbered 
structure, and a view of it, by Grimm, is given in S. A. C. v., 250. 
The present house is modem. In 1840 a beautiful enamelled 
chalice of the 12th or 13th century was discovered with human 
remains, presumed to be those of a Prioress, within the ambit 
of the Nunnery. 

In 1450 the commons of Eowesparre, under Thomas Walter, 
and John Styles, and Thomas Bartelot, " gentilmen," rose in 
favour of Jack Cade. 

The church (St. Mary), principally of the 14th century, consists 
of nave, aisles, chancel, and massive embattled tower. The body 
of the edifice was rebuilt in 1855, at the expense of the Broad- 
wood family. In the nave are two brasses — ^the first for ^oi^lt 
ie ItSflgejElfoKr, and ^gne^ his wife, with small half-length figures 
(14th century)— the other for Cjo. (ffifjalloner, and Margaret, his 
vrife (1532). Mr. Challoner is mentioned among the tenants of 
the Prioress. There are later memorials for the families of 
Wood, Broadwood, Priaulx, Chandler, Gardiner, Wallis, Stone, 
Ede, &c. 

[S. A. C. Priory of, v, 244 (Wai/). Enamelled chalice, ix, 303 (Way), 
Borers, xi, 80. Church, xii, 108. Matthew, Stanbridge, and Steer. 
Quakers, xvi, 69. Bells, xyi, 222. Kiyer Mole, xvi, 269. Urrej of, xvii, 
21. Jack Cade's rising abetted by four "gentilmen" of Rusper, xviii, 29. 
Cross found at, xviii, 209. 



RUNTINGTON. 
A small hamlet in Heathfield. 



RUSTINGTON. 



A parish in the Hundred of Poling ; Rape of Arundel ; distant 1^ mile 
east from Littlehampton, its Post-town. Its Railway station is 
Angmering, close by. Union, East Preston. Population in 1811, 
292; in 1861, 340. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £159. Patron, 
the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry John Rush, M.A., 
of Worcester College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1568. Acreage, 1,287. Chief Landowners j Mrs. Gratwicke, Mrs. 
Penfold, and Ihomas Bushby, Esq. 

It is a fertile agricultural parish, and contains several ex- 
cellent private residences. The manor is mentioned in Domes- 
day under (West) Prestetune. It was a constituent part of the 
barony of Midhurst, and as such belonged to the great family 
of De Bohun. From them it passed by heirs female to the Lesleys, 



134 . HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Barfords, and Cookes, down to about the beginning of the 16th 
century, and was divided into Eastcourt and Westcourt. After 
a great variety of changes of ownership it became the property 
of Charles, Duke of Norfolk, who in 1790 sold it to William 
Gratwicke, Esq., of Ham, in whose representatives it still vests. 
Prestetune itself belonged, before the Conquest, to a freewoman 
named TJlveva. It was subsequently held by Bohun, Tregoz, 
Lewknor, and Dawtrey, and in 1560 Thomas Baker, the maternal 
grandfather of the illustrious John Selden, was possessor. Later 
proprietors have been Alderton, Willes, Dawtrey, and Bushby 
of Arundel. Another estate passed through the families of 
TJpperton, Barwick, Gratwicke, and Campion, and was purchased 
in 1810 by E. G. Penfold, Esq. 

The church (St. Peter and St. Paul) is described by Hussey 
as " a good churchy of chancel, north and south aisles (an addition 
to the east end of the former making a kind of transept), a heavy 
western tower, and north and west porches." He indicates 
Transition-Norman, Early EngUsh, and Perpendicular features. 
There are several details which deserve the notice of the ecclesi- 
ologist. The edifice had fallen into disrepair, but the zeal and 
benevolence of the present incumbent and some friends, have 
recently brought about a judicious restoration, and put the whole 
parish into " good repair." 

fS. A. C. Encaustic tile, iii, 238. Anns of Cooke, ix, 365. Church 
to Nunnery of Lyminster, xi, 118. Church, xii, 98. Holy-bread lands, 
xiv, 156 — ^for the meaning of this term see vol. vi, p. 244. Bell, xvi, 222. 
Belonged to the Lords of Arundel and the Bohuns, xx, 1, 2.] 



RYE. 

A borough, market-town, and parish in the Hundred of Goldspur ; Rape 
of Hastings; distant nine miles north-east from Hastings, having 
a Railway station on the South Eastern line. Union, Rye. Population 
in 1811, 2,681; in 1861, 4,228. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £410 ; 
Patron, the Duke of Devonshire ; Incumbent, Rev. Barrington S. 
Wright, M.A. Date of earliest Pjirish Register, 1538. Acreage, 
2,313. Seats, Leash am-house. Major Edward Barrett Curteis ; 
Mountsfield, J. F. Plomley, Esq. 

Eye is in many respects one of the most interesting towns 
in East Sussex. The name is probably derived from the old 
Norman rive, Latin ripa, a bank, which weU describes its geo- 
graphical character. It is near the eastern extremity of Sussex, 
and its situation near the mouth of the Eastern Bother has 
always given it some degree of commercial importance. It was 
not originally one of the Cinque-Ports, but in the early Norm an 



RYE. 135 

period it was added, with its sister-town of Winchelsea, to that 
ancient league, the two being designated "nobiliora membra 
Quinque Portuum," and ran^ng next in order to the five original 
ports. In every other respect it has for centuries been regarded 
as equal to the original five ports. As an actual port for com- 
merce it is the best of the series, most of which, be it said, are 
no longer ports at all. Some topographers have, without foun- 
dation, made it the Portus Novus of rPtolemy. The position of 
the town is somewhat grand and romantic, and from some points 
of view its fine old church becomes a kind of Acropolis. On 
entering Rye, the visitor is struck with its medieval appearance ; 
narrow streets, paved with small boulders like " petrified kid- 
neys,'^ and antique gabled houses being its chief characteristics. 
That it was originally insulated appears pretty clear, as the 
surrounding alluvial soil must have been deposited by salt and 
fresh water. Of the antiquity of the town we can only guess 
from inferences, but as it was seated on the Rother, more 
anciently known as the Limene, and having its outfall much 
farther to the east, in the neighbourhood of Hythe in Kent, it 
must have been of some importance for shipmen as early at least 
as the time of the first Norsemen and Danes. We are told in 
the Saxon Chronicle, under the year 893, that 250 Danish ships 
entered the Limene, and in the year 1822 a discovery was made 
at Northiam, at a place not far from the present navigable river 
Bother, which helps to illustrate this point. A ship, pre- 
sumed to have been one of this fleet, was discovered deeply 
imbedded in ten feet of mud and sand. She Was 66 feet 
long and 14 feet wide, with cabin and forecastle, and on 
board of her were found a human skull, a pair of goat's horns, 
a poinard, the bricks of a fire-hearth, several square ornamental 
glazed tiles, some pottery, several pairs of shoes or sandals, and 
many other relics. For speculations on the ancient condition of 
Eye and its port, see Dugdale's " History of Imbanking," and 
the late Mr. William Holloway's " History of Rye." The hun- 
dred or manor of which the town formed part, is called in 
Domesday Staneings, and like Winchelsea and several other 
places in Sussex, was given by the Confessor to the Norman 
abbey of Fecamp, and so continued till 1267, when Henry III. 
resumed possession, giving the monks in exchange the manor of 
Cheltenham in the county of Gloucester, and other lands. Rye, 
like most of our southern ports, has been honoured by several 
royal visits. King John was there ; so were Edward III,, Henry 
VII., Henry VIII., and Elizabeth. The virgin queen was re- 
ceived with so much loyalty that she called the town "Rye 
Royal," on the same occasion that she re-christened Winchelsea 
as *" Little London." This was in 1573, and, on her entrance 



136 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

to the town, being thirsty, she stopped at a little way-side well, 
and drank. The place is still existing, and is called Qneen 
Elizabeth's spring. A quaint old stone commemorates the event. 
Charles II. was there too, and so were the two first Georges, 
all detained by stress of weather. The rooms occupied by 
George II. were in a house at the south-west comer of Middle- 
street. John Fletcher, the celebrated coadjutor of Beaumont 
the dramatist, was son of Richard Fletcher, vicar of Rye, after- 
wards Bishop of Bristol, and was bom here in 1579. The town 
was fortified with a stone wall, at an early period ; and need 
enough,* for it was several times attacked by the French, par- 
ticularly in the reigns of Richard 11. and Henry VI. In the 
former reign, 1377, the enemy landed with five vessels, and 
after having plundered the town, set it on fire. With his cus- 
tomary exaggeration, the chronicler Stowe, asserts that " within 
five hours they brought it wholly into ashes, with the church, 
that then was there of a wonderful beauty, conveying away foure 
of the richest of that towne prisoners, and slaying sixty-six, 
left not above eyght in the towne " — ^total population 78 ! Among 
other spoils they carried off 42 hogsheads of wine. It is matter 
of congratulation, however, that the church, though some of its 
masonry has marks of fire, was but slightly injured. In 1447, 
on the second irruption, the town records are supposed to have 
been burnt. In the reign of Edward VI., 37 hoys are said to 
have left the haven at one tide, ^^and never an Englishman among 
them." Rye suffered greatly in the 16th and 17th centuries 
from visitations of the plague and small-pox, which destroyed 
many hundreds of the inhabitants. In 1562, on the breaking 
out of the war in France between the Romanists and Huguenots, 
when Elizabeth sent out a large armament to support the latter, 
600 soldiers sailed from Rye. The history of this war is so well 
known as to require here no farther reference. Rye afterwards 
became a place of refuge for the harassed Huguenots, and no less 
than 500 were soon collected here, so that provision could hardly 
be made for the support of this sudden accession to the popula- 
tion. After the massacre of St. Bartholomew, 641 refugees 
entered the port, many remaining here, who had separate reli- 
gious services, it is supposed in the old chapel of the Augustine 
Friars, under a Huguenot ministry. Some of the settlers were 
Flemings and Walloons. Jeake says that in 1582 there were 
1,534 French refugees, though only a few of these can have 
settled here. In 1682 the Huguenots were permitted to have 
separate services in the parish church. At length, in 1685, came 
the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and Rye again received 
many additional refugees. The parish register contains very 

♦ The royal license for fortifying « La Rye" was dated 3rd March, 1369. 



RYE. 137 

nnmerous entries of their births and burials. Many of the des- 
cendants remain in and about Rye, but with names so translated, 
misspelt, and Anglicized, that it is difficult to identify them. 
The names, however, of the Hamons, Taylors, Dansays, Guerins, 
Jewins, Valloys, Mercers, Sivyers, Michells, Lyons, Neves, 
Marrows, Toumays, Saverys, Eeynoldses, Espinettes, Meryons, 
Gastons, BoTimes, Paines, and several others, have long been 
denizened, in their corrupted orthography, in this part of Sussex. 
The flagon used by the French congregation was presented in 
1860, by the venerable historian of Rye, the late Mr. W. Holloway, 
and his wife Sarah, nee Meryon^ to the vicar and churchwardens, 
and though only of lead, is still preserved among the utensils of 
the Holy Communion in the parish church. For these and many 
other details of the foreign Protestants of Rye, as a " city of 
refuge," I am indebted to the very researchful paper of Mr. 
W. Durrant Cooper, F.S.A,, in the xiii. Vol. of the " Sussex 
Collections.'^ 

Besides the grand parish church, Horsfield mentions three 
small ecclesiastical establishments in Rye ; the chapel of St. Clare ; 
the chantry of St. Nicholas, both afterwards used for the deposit 
of ammunition,"*^ and the house of the Friars Eremitfes of St. 
Augustine, the chapel of which was also applied to secular uses. 
Of the last we have little history. The parish church deserves 
careful examination, as being among the largest and most inter- 
esting in Sussex. The earliest portions are the central tower, 
the transepts, and the plain semi-circular arches opening into 
them from the aisles of the nave. These are early Norman. In 
both transepts are fragments of a Norman arcade, with the 
zig-zag moulding. The nave is Transition-Norman. The chancel 
has a chapel or a subsidary chancel on each side. The east 
window is rich Perpendicular, filled with what Murray's " Hand- 
book of Kent and Sussex, p. 249," styles " Harlequin glass." A 
common tradition makes the communion table one of the spoils 
of the Spanish Armada, but it is certainly not older than temp. 
William III. The north or St. Clare's chapel is Early English, 
and it must have originally been very striking. The authority 
just quoted complains that " it is impossible to speak too severely 
of the present state of this beautiful chapel, desecrated, neg- 
lected, damp, and filled with ladders and fire-engines." It 
might be added that lately (when I last saw it) it was also the 
receptacle of a pillory and a " cucking-stool," which latter 
shows that the " good wives " of Rye of yore were rather addicted 
to scolding, and sometimes required a " ducking " in the river. 
The south, or St. Nicholas' chapel, was long used as a school- 
room for the poor. The church clock, the bells of which are 

* These were doubtless adjuncts to the parochial church. 



138 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

struck by a pair of fat gilt cherubs, is said, like the eouamn- 
nion-table, to have been the gift of Queen Elizabeth, a statement 
open to much doubt, though Mr. Octavius Morgan thinks it is 
the most ancient clock in England still actually doing its work. 
The big pendulum swinging below attracts iiie notice of the 
stranger, as it seems as if intended to beat time to the services 
of the sanctuary. Near the communion-table is a brass to a 
civilian, d^O0. I^aoton, six times mayor of Eye, and thrice M.P. 
for the borough, whose " courage, justice, and gravitie " are duly 
noted. Within this church, too, lies my old tried Mend, Charles 
Hicks, who was also six times mayor, and whose straightforward- 
ness of character was not inferior to that of Hamon. The church 
contains several good mural monuments, notably one for John 
Wollett, Esq., with allegorical figures. Other records of the 
dead relate to the families of Lamb, Slade, a qiu) the local anti- 
quary, George Slade Butler, Esq., F.S.A., Dansays, Haddock 
Lawrence, Collett, Hay, Prosser, Davis, Dawes, Procter, Threele, 
of Lewisham (now called Leasham), Miller, Pinkerton, Watson, 
Brazier, Morris, Glazier, Francis, Barham, Hounsell, Butler, 
HafFenden, Chatterton, Backhurst, Odiame, Carleton, Durrant, 
Hope, Norton, Kennett, Grebbell, and many others " long to 
rehearse," but see Mr. G. S. Butler, in Vol. xiii. of the " Sussex 
Collections," where all the inscriptions in the church and church- 
yard are painstakingly recorded. In St. Clare's chancel is a 
monument to Allen Grebble, Esq., a member of one of the 
refugee families, and ten years mayor, who was assassinated in 
the church-yard in 1742, by a "sanguinary butcher" named 
Breeds, who slew him in mistake for his brother-in-law, Mr. 
Thomas Lamb, against whom he had a grudge. Breeds was 
hung in chains near the west end of the town, and the so-called 
" chains," an iron frame-work, are still preserved as a relic. 
The church contains eight bells, dated 1776, with quaint rhymed 
inscriptions. 

Besides the church there are two ancient buildings in Eye. 
The Land-gate, on the north-east of the town, is of noble pro- 
portions, and forms a picturesque object. When the town was 
fortified, temp, Edward III., there were two other approaches 
called Tpres-gate, and Strand-gate, and a small postern at the 
bottom of Conduit-hill, but these have all disappeared within 
somewhat recent times, unless, indeed, the first-mentioned was 
identical with the castellated building still standing on the south- 
east of the town, on a rocky eminence, overlooking the harbour, 
and called Ypres Tower, It is a prevalent, but I believe un- 
founded, notion that this tower was named after William de 
Ypres, Earl of Kent, temp. King Stephen. - This is quite im- 
probable, since that noble is not known to have had any posses- 



RYE. 139 

Bions in Rye, and, secondly, the architecture is of much later 
date. It seems more Kkely to have received its name from a 
family of Tpres who were inhabitants of Rye in the 14th and 
15th centuries. The building, which is a strong square pile, 
with a round tower at each angle, having been repaired, is now 
used as the borough prison. Rye has returned members to 
Parliament, as a borough by prescription, since 1369, and per- 
haps from an earlier date. By the Reform Act of 1832, the 
number was reduced from two members to one, and in order to 
return that one it was necessary to bring several of the adjacent 
parishes within the borough limit. Among more recent repre- 
sentatives have been, besides numerous members of county fami- 
lies. Sir Arthur WeUesley, afterwards Duke of Wellington, and 
another well-known soldier. Sir De Lacy Evans. 

The history of the harbour has been given at large by Hors- 
field and Holloway, from the time when Rye was an insulated 
rock, until our own days, when the port is two miles from the 
town. Besides the main river Rother, two unimportant streams 
called the Brede and Tillingham-water, now reach the sea 
through the harbour. Considerable fisheries exist here, and in 
the lagt age smugglers carried on a profitable traffic. From 
hence, during the Trench war, newspapers and correspondence 
were clandestinely conveyed to the Emperor Napoleon. 

Among other noteworthy inhabitants of Rye, were Samuel 
Jeake, sen., and his son and grandson of the same names. The 
former, bom 1623, was a lawyer of eminence and learning, and 
as I have elsewhere had occasion to say, " He was in politics a 
roundhead, in religion a nonconformist, and in science almost 
encyclopaedic.'' He was author of several works, including 
a huge volume of arithmetic, of almost 700 folio pages, with 
the learned title of " Logistikelogia,'' published under the aus- 
pices of the Royal Society ; but the book by which he wiU be 
best remembered is his very valuable " Charters of the Cinque- 
Ports," translated with notes in 1678, but not published until 
1728. It is the text-book of the customs and liberties of the 
Ports, and is very scarce. Mr. Jeake was a preacher, and was 
much persecuted for his religious sentiments. To modem 
notions it seems incompatible that this truly Christian man 
should have addicted himself to Astrology and Alchemy ; but so 
it was, and though he had full faith in what we now deem ortho- 
doxy, he like many others believed in these occult sciences, and 
produced many horoscopes, which are still preserved. He died 
in 1690. His only surviving child, the second Samuel Jeake, 
was bom in 1652, and at the age of 19 was acquainted with 
all his father's studies, and even more. Less wise and more 
superstitious was he than his father. He was, however, a 



140 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

kindly Christian man, and full of schemes. One of these was 
to many Elizabeth, the accomplished daughter of Mr. Bichard 
flartshome, ex-master of the grammar-school of Eye, when she 
had reached the mature age of 13^ years ! By this marriage he 
had several children, one of whom, the third Samuel Jeake, like- 
wise dabbled in astrology, and was known by the vulgar as the 
" conjuror," but by the more cultivated as " Counsellor Jeake." 
He was also a mechanical genius, and invented an apparatus to 
enable him to fly. His failure, however, was as great as that of 
Icarus, though without the same unlucky result. See notices 
of the Jeake family, in " Sussex Worthies," and Holloway's 
" History of Rye." Bryan Twyne, the eminent scholar, was 
appointed vicar of Rye in 1613, but was chiefly resident at 
Oxford, of which university he was the champion. See " Sussex 
Worthies," p. 186. 

[S. A. C. Town seals, i, 18. xvii, 64. Capt. Cockram, mayor, v, 54, 73. 
Eoyal visits, John, i, 135. Edward III., iy, 118. vi, 53. Henry VIII., 
vi,53. Charles II., ibid. Georges I. and 11. (vide supra,) Miller of, ix,40. 
The Jeakes, various notices of, ix, 45. xiii, 57, 72, 74, 76, 78. Pillory and 
cucking-stool, ix, 361 {Lower.) Tradesmen's tokens, x, 209. Cannon at,xi, 
152. Atlas maritimus report, xi, 180. Charters of Cinque-Ports, xii, 159. 
xiii, 76. Oxenbridge of, xii, 203. Plague at, xiii, 57. Town fortified, xiii, 
113. Salt-works, xiii, 138. xvii, 30. Protestant refugees, xiii, 180. Vicars 
and their patrons, and inscriptions in church and church-yard (Butler), 
xiii, 270-301. French invasion, xiii, 271. Fletchersof, xiii, 277. Appear- 
ance of spirits in 1607 (Butler), xiv, 25. Agincourt, men at, xv, 133. 
Rye and its inhabitants (Butler), xvii, 123. Church bells, xvi, 222. Har- 
bour, xvii, 134. Passage-book of Rye (W.D. Cooper), xviii, 170. Trial 
of Breads the murderer of Mr. Grebble, xviii, 188. Whitfeld of, xix, 89. 
Aliens temp. Henry VIII., xix, 149. Public roads, v, 193. xix, 155, 167. 
Thomas Palmer's journal, xix, 202. Hays, M.P. of, xx, 223. Venetian 
traffic to Rye, xx, 224.] 



SADDLESCOMBE. 



Now a farm-house merely, but formerly a Preceptory of 
Knights-Templars, in the parish of Newtimber. It was a manor 
at the date of Domesday. In Saxon times, Godwin, a priest, 
had held it of his namesake. Earl Godwin. The assessment was 
17 hides, and there were 24 villeins, and 4 bondmen. S>alph 
held four hides in the same territory, with three villeins and two 
bondmen. The total value in Saxon times was fifteen pounds, 
and after the Conquest eleven pounds. Some of the subsequent 
lords of the manor were Penfont, Browne, Viscounts Montague 
Poyntz, and the family of Wyndham, of Petworth (Lord Lecon- 
field). There has been considerable confusion as to the abode 



SALEHURST. 141 

of the Knights-Templars, several authorities having fixed it at 
Sedlescombe, near Battle in East Sussex ; but it is quite clear 
that the place now under consideration was the spot. " Sadies- 
combe " was an extensive manor extending into the parishes of 
Newtimber, Bobiey, Hurst-Pierpoint, and Twineham, and was 
held of the De Warennes in the 13th and 14th centuries by the 
powerful family of De Saye. Among the places to which John, 
Earl of Warenne, made his memorable claim, by exhibiting the 
sword with which his ancestor had fought at Hastings, were 
Newtimber and Sadlescombe. There cannot be much doubt, I 
think, that the De Sayes founded this establishment for the 
^' half-soldiers, half-monks " of the " Temple of Solomon." Of 
the history of the Templars here we have few records, but we 
ascertain from documents that the churches of Southwyke, 
Woodmancote, and tithes and lands in Kingston-Bowsey, Shore- 
ham, and other places, were held by the Brethren. On the sup- 
pression of the Templars in 1309, the Knights-Hospitallers 
succeeded to their rule and possessions, which they held till the 
dissolution of the Monasteries. It is interesting to note that 
among the benefactors to the Templars were members of the 
families of Scrase and Famcombe, names for centuries identified 
with Sussex, and still existing in the county. For a full detail 
of this ancient Preceptory, I must refer to the article by Mr. 
Blaauw in the ix. volume of the " Sussex Archaeological Col- 
lections." 



SALEHURST, 



Domesday, Salhert; a parish in the Hundred of Henhurst ; Rape of Hast- 
ings ; distant six miles north from Battle ; Post-town, Hawkhurst. 
Railway- station, Robertsbridge, in this parish. Population in 1811, 
1,653 ; in 1861, 2,014. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £625 ; 
Patron, Charles Hardy, Esq.; Incumbent, Rev. Alexander Orr, M. A., 
of Oriel College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1575. 
Acreage, 6,481. Seats, Higham, Iridge, Darvel-bank, and Bernhurst. 

The population of this parish is considerably increased in 
consequence of the town of Robertsbridge^ and part of the hamlet 
of Hurst- Green lying within its boundaries. Those places are 
mentioned in separate articles. The parish, hke most in this 
district, is beautifully undulated, and variegated with arable, 
woodland, pasture, and hop-gardens. There are several emin- 
ences of considerable altitude, which command excellent views, 
especially Silver Hill. Several old families were connected with 
the parish. That of Wildigos resided at Iridge ; Higham gave 
name to a family ; while a branch of the " ubiquitous " Culpepers 



142 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

possessed tlie old gabled mansion called Wigsell. Bozhnlle, 
now BngseU, gave name to the &milj of Sir Alan de Boxhulle, 
one of the original Knights of the (Jarter. The &mily of Dicker 
were also of some standing in the parish. Fuller particulars of 
these &milie8 and the descent of iheir estates are given bj Hors- 
field. In more recent days the principal fiEunilies have been 
Fowle, Peckham, Micklethwaite, Harconrt, Boys, and Lnxford. 
On the commanding height called Silver-HiU, barracks of great 
extent were erected during the French war, about the end of the 
last century. 

The church (St. Mary) is of various dates, and is a very pic- 
turesque structure. It contains a nave with aisles, and two 
chancels. The arches are pointed throughout. The tower, which 
is loffcy and embattled, is entered by a porch at ihe west end, 
which also has battlements, and a fine pointed arch. The arms 
of Echingham, Culpeper, and another are carved on this porch. 
Within a recess in the south aisle is a large altar tomb, but there 
is. no record of its occupant. In the Wigsell chancel there are 
some old monuments ascribed to the Cnlpepers of that estate, 
but here, as in too many other cases, " monuments themselves 
memorials need.'' There are tablets and inscriptions with the 
names of Ashe, Jenkin, Micklethwaite, Peckham, Fowle, Har- 
court, Snepp, Stevens, WeUer, and other families. There is a 
peal of eight bells, all of modem date. Altogether this is one of 
the most interesting churches in the district. 

See also the articles Kobebtsbsidge and Hubst-Gbeen. 

[Ironworks, ii, 216. iii, 241. xviii, 15. Church of, xiii, 136. Culpeper 
family, xiii, 254. BoxhuUe (Bugsell), xv, 152 xviii, 15. xx, 65. Newing- 
tons of, xvi, 46. Bells, xvii, 223. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 25. Strodes 
of, xix, 110. Hays of, xx, 65.] 



SEAFORD. 

Vulgo, Saifoord; a parish, extinct Parliamentary Borough, and Cor- 
poration, a Member of the Cinque port of Hastings, in the Rape of 
Peyensey ; distant 9^ miles from Lewes, its Post-town. It has a 
Railway station on the South Coast line. Union, Eastbourne. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 1,001 ; in 1861, 1,084, though in the "season " the 
population is much increased ; Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £240 ; 
Incumbent, Rev. W. H. Meade Buck. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1558. Acreage, 2,285. C7At«/Xawc?oM?7i€r5, The Earl of Chichester, Mrs 
Harison, and Dr. Tyler Smith. Seats, Sutton Place, Mrs. Harison ; 
Milburgh, J. Purcell Fitz-Gerald, Esq. 

This small town is rich in historical interest. In Vol. vii. 
of " Sussex ArchEeological Collections '' I gave the fullest ac- 



SEAFORD. 143 

count of it then practicable, but additions have been made in 
several subsequent volumes, particularly in Vol. xvii. The locality 
was early possessed by civilized man. Many traces of Komau 
occupation occur in the parish. On the cliff, less than a mile 
eastward of the town, is an earthwork locally called the Roman 
camp, and a Roman cemetery existed at Green Street, where, 
about the year 1825, a large number of sepulchral urns were ex- 
humed. Coins of Hadrian and Pius, and of Antonia, daughter 
of Mark Antony, have been found here. Seaford was one of the 
claimants of the honour of being the Civitas Anderida, but that 
claim has been settled in favour of Pevensey. It has been sug- 
gested, however, that Seaford is identical with the Mercredes- 
bum of the Saxon chronicle, where, in 485, a great battle be- 
tween the South Saxons and the Britons took place. 

Seaford appears to signify a firth or fiord of the sea, and 
probably received its present designation from a colony of Norse- 
men, who called it Sae-Fiord, in reference to the bay of the 
English Channel on which it stands, and to the estuary which 
formerly extended inland beyond the town. The place is first 
mentioned, as Sefordt^ in 1058, in connection with the removal 
of the remains of St. Lewinna, virgin and.martyr, who had long 
previously died at the hands of the pagan Saxons. The remains 
had been kept in the odour of sanctity at a religious establish- 
ment called St. Andrew's, probably at Alfriston. The story is 
given at length in " Sussex Archaeological Collections '^ Vol. i, 
and also in tiie " Worthies of Sussex." 

Soon after the Conquest Seaford became the lordship of Wil- 
liam de Warenne, and continued in his descendants down to the 
reign of Edward III., when the family became extinct in the 
elder line. Chington, however, an important manor and vill in 
the parish was held, with Pevensey rape, by the family of De 
Aqmla, lords of Pevensey, one of whom gave it to the priory of 
Michelham.* King John with his suite passed the night of the 
23rd May, 1216, in this town. After the extinction of the De 
Warennes, Seaford was successively in the hands of the Poy- 
nings, Pitz-Alan, Mowbray, and Howard families. When it be- 
came a member of the Cinque Ports is not known : it must cer- 
tainly liave been so as early as 1229, when it is mentioned first 
among the limbs of the port of Hastings. Of all the subordinate 
ports this is the only one which returned members to Parlia- 
ment. It is long since that Seaford actually possessed a port; the 
Ouse debouched there from a very early period until the 1 6th 
century when it was straightened and directed to the village of 

* In 7th Edw. I., Thomas Therel held a certain serjeanty in Chinting, co. Sussex, 
by finding one serving man as often as the King should go into Wales, '* or else- 
where in England," at his own expense for 40 days. — Blount's Ancient Temtres. 



144 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Meeching, which thence received the name of the "New-Haven." 
The course of the old river is still traceable at the back of the 
beach, from Newhaven to the Cliff-end at Seaford. The decay 
of the harbour was not the only cause of the decline of the 
town — it had previously suffered greatly from several incursions 
of the French, from fire, and from the great pestilence of 1348, 
called the Black Death. Prior to this, as we have seen, Seaford 
sent two members to Parliament, viz., from 1298 to 1400. Prom 
that time there was no return until 1640, from which date it 
continued to be represented, until the Reform Act of 1832 swept 
away the electoral privilege. 

During the proprietorship of part of Seaford by the Poynings 
family, an attempt was made to found a new town in the east- 
em part of the parish, on a commanding portion of the South 
Downs overlooking the harbour of Cuckmere. There are traces 
of buildings extending over many acres, and the site is still 
known as Poynings Town. A finer site for a town can scarcely 
be imagined. 

Henry VIII. gave a new charter to Seaford investing it with 
and confirming all Cinque Port privileges, which it stiU enjoys, 
standing eighth in the roll of that ancient league, and beiug 
governed by a recorder, bailiff, jurats, coroner, and the other 
officials usual in the larger ports. Not long afterwards, in 1645, 
the French made their final descent upon the town, but were 
repulsed with disgrace by Sir Nicholas Pelham and an extempo- 
rized force of townsmen and neighbours. As Sir Nicholas' epi- 
taph at Lewes informs us, with a quaint pun — 

*' What time the French sought to have sackt Sea-Foord, 
This Pelham did re-peVem back aboord." 

The municipality of Seaford has been duly preserved down to 
the present day, and is a jurisdiction independent of the county, 
having courts of assembly, quarter and petty sessions, with a 
town hall, prison, &c., all, of course, in miniature. The higher 
criminal causes are usually transferred to the assizes at the 
county town. The town records, from the year 1562, are in ex- 
cellent preservation. The Parliamentary history of the borough 
presents the usual amount of corruption to which such small 
constituencies were exposed. One of the latest members, 1827, 
was the celebrated statesman, the Right Hon. George Canning. At 
an earlier date William Pitt, the great Earl of Chatham, had 
represented it. 

As to matters ecclesiastical, there is a tradition that Seaford 
formerly had five churches, though there is no evidence of its 
having ever formed more than one parish, except tjiat it was 
early united with the adjoining parish of Sutton, which is now 



SEAFORD. 145 

absorbed by it, the ecclesiastical designation being Sutton-cnm- 
Seaford. There may, however, have been five ecclesiastical es- 
tablishments, viz. : the parish church of Seaford, that of Sutton, 
the chapel of Chyngton, dependent upon Michelham Priory, the 
chapel of St. James, attached to a hospital of lepers which ex- 
isted so early as the 12th century, in tiie northern outskirts of 
the town ; and (probably) another chapel attached to a guild 
within the town, the crypt of which remains in a garden called 
*^ The Folly," over which the original town-hall is said to have 
stood. This crypt has recently been restored in excellent taste 
by its proprietor, Robertson Griffiths, Esq. Seaford and Sutton 
are both prebends in Chichester cathedral. 

The parish church, dedicated to St. Leonard, until lately, con- 
sisted of a western tower, a nave, north and south aisles, and a 
modem chancel ; but, in 1862, the building underwent restora- 
tions, and received the addition of two short transepts and a 
handsome chancel, terminating in a polygonal apse. The origi- 
nal architecture was Norman, with insertions of later date, prin- 
cipally of the Transition period. One of the capitals of the 
columns, between the nave and the south aisle, is curiously 
sculptured with the Crucifixion and other subjects, and there is 
also a slab with an early representation of St. Michael and the 
Dragon. There are no monuments of early date. Of Sutton 
church some remains are still traceable in a close near Sutton 
Place. Sutton and Chyngton (or Chinting) were formerly re- 
garded as villa of Seaford, and the Corporation seal contains the 
legend "Sigillvm. Burgensium. de Saffordia — ^with Suttonii, et 
Chyngton.^* The devices are (obv.) an Eagle for De Aquila, and 
(rev.) a three-masted ship. 

Seaford is agreeably situated on the bay to which it gives 
name, and of which, from the chalk clifi^s to the eastward, a 
beautiful prospect is obtained, including views of tie town and 
surrounding country, Newhaven harbour, Lewes, &c. The cliffs 
between the town and Cuckmere are bold and romantic, and on 
the verge, near the junction of the Chyngton and Sutton farms, 
is a ledge called " Puck-church parlour," no longer the abode of 
fairies, but the resort of foxes, ravens, sea-gulls, and peregrine 
falcons. A hermitage existed on these cliffs in 1372. 

For many years the town has been resorted to as a quiet retreat 
for sea-bathers, and recently an impulse has been given to 
building. Could proper sea-defences be made, and the common 
lands in front of the town brought into proper order, Seaford 
would offer one of the best sites imaginable for a watering-place. 
Were the scheme for a breakwater and harbour of refiige in con- 
nection with Newhaven carried into effect, this would become 
the most important point between Dover and Portsmouth, 

VOL. II. L 



146 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

The families of Gratwicke, Elphick, Harison of Sutton, Httrdis, 
Bill, &c., have been influential here at various periods. The 
name of Simmons, formerly Seman, can also be traced for nearly 
six centuries. For shipwrecks, smuggling, and electioneering 
manoeuvres, for all which Seaford had a bad reputation, see 
Horsfield's Sussex, Vol. i, and the articles in S. A. C. 

[S. A. C. Seal i, 19. Lewinna St.,i, 46. King' John at, i, 136. Lawer's 
memorials of, vii, 73. Lower and Cooper's ditto, xvii, 141. Elphick of 
Sutton, pedigree, vii, 131. xvi, 47. xvii, 159, 259. Harison pedigree, vii, 
132. Hurdis pedigree, vii, 134. Sutton, viii, 155. Eoman urns, ix, 368. 
xvii, 141. Cuckmere, smugglers at, X, 81. Medievalpottery, x, 193. Fort, 
xi, 151. xvii, 147. Cuckmere haven artillery, xi, 151. Hospital of Lepers 
at, xii, 112, 269. xvii, 162. Churchyard inscriptions, xii, 242. Old family 
names, xii, 251. Salts and Beamlands, xiii, 47. xvii, 147. Sutton annex- 
ation of, xiii, 315. Ancient mouth of the Ouse, xv, 164. Cinque-Port 
privileges, xv, 164. Church bells, xvi, 141, 223. Peter, the Hermit of 
Seaford, xvii, 143. Chyngton, Phil, of, xvii, 144. Sutton prebendal 
house burnt by the French, xvii, 147. Wreckers of, xvii, 149. Michelham 
Priory possessions, &c., xvii, 152. Gratwickesofvii, 129. xvii, 158. Browne, 
Sir Anthony, xvii, 163. Cade's rising, xviii, 18. Civil marriages, xix, 202. 
Hay, M.P., xx, 65. Human remains found at, (Capt Turner )^ xx, 180. 
Venetian ships' charts, xx, 225.] 



ST. LEONARDS (sometimes called St. Leonards-on-Sea). 

In the Rape of Hastings ; a suburb of Hastings ; it has a Station on the 
South- Coast Railway. 

The town of St. Leonards, formerly a small village (if village 
it could be called), sprang into importance when Mr. Burton 
erected a new and fashionable town. This grand undertaking 
resulted in additional popularity to Hastings proper. St. Leo- 
nards is situated partly in a valley, which has some pretty 
scenery inland. The principal range of buildings, called the 
Marina, extends along the sea front, and there are many agree- 
able residences around, as also every appliance of a modem 
watering-place. 

Theodore Hook, in " Jack Bragg,'* thus alludes to St. Leo- 
nards : — 

" From the meditation in which he was absorbed. Jack was aroused 
upon his arrival at that splendid creation of modern art and industry, St. 
Leonards, which perhaps affords one of the most beautiful and wonderful 
proofs of individual taste, judgment, and perseverance that our nation 
exhibits. Under the superintendence of Mr. Burton a desert has become 
a thickly-peopled town ^ Buildings of an extensive nature and most 
elegant character rear their heads where but lately the barren cliffs pre- 
eented their sandy fronts to the storm and wave, and rippHng streams 



SEDLESCOMBE. 147 

and hanging grores adorn the valley which a few years since was a sterile 
and shrnbless rayine.'* 

Dr. Granville, in his " Spas of England/* says : " The whole 
of this varied region must be a little paradise to invalids ; and 
the houses, whether those detached as Italian or Lombard villas 
with gardens, or those placed in rows like a series of Gothic 

cottages, all equally desirable, are much sought afber 

The Victoria Hotel has the appearance of a nobleman's mansion. 
A wide street runs up on each side of it, leading to other and 
less regular series of buildings, constituting the town of St. 
Leonards, and also to that paradise of detached villas to which 
I have already alluded." 

St. Leonards has really no history until 1828, when Mr. Burton 
commenced his buildings. It lies partly in the formerly almost 
extinct parish of St. Leonards, and partly in that of St. Mary 
Magdalen. Previously to Mr. Burton's purchase, it had be- 
longed to the families of Lewis and Eversfield. 

The parish extends beyond the limits of the Corporation of 
Hastings. The church was built at private expense in 1831, 
and the Princess Sophia of Gloucester laid the first stone. 



SEDLESCOMBE. 

Domesday, Selescome; vulgo, Selzcum; a parish in the Hundreds of Staple 
and Battle ; Bape of Hastings ; distant three miles north-east from 
Battle, its Post-town and Railway station. Union, Battle. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 506 ; in 1861, 703. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at 
£320 ; Patron, the Lord Chancellor; Incumbent, Rev. Edward Owen, 
M. A., of Sidney-Sussex College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1558. Acreage, 2,049. 

Like most of the neighbouring parishes, this has an undu- 
lating and well-wooded surface. The broad village street, which 
has some antique houses, is highly picturesque. On the little 
river Brede there are traces of the iron-works formerly carried 
on here. Roman remains have been discovered in connection 
with these works, proving that that enterprising people availed 
themselves of our mineral treasures. Powder mills have long 
existed in the parish. 

Sir WiUiam Burrell, who has been followed by Horsfield and 
others, confounds this parish with Saddlescombe, in the parish 
of Newtimber, on the South Downs, which had a Preceptory of 
Knights Templars. The manor passed from Earl Godwin to his 
son Harold, and after the Conquest it was held of the Earl of 
Eu by Walter Fitz-Lambert. In 23rd Edward I. William de 
Echingham was lord. Henry Halle, John Wybame, Sir An- 

I. 2 



148 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

thony Browne, the Sidneys, and the Sackvilles were snccessiyely 
owners. It now belongs to the Earl de la Warr. Hancox, in 
this parish, was some time the seat of a junior branch of the 
Sackvilles ; Great Sanders has for more than three centuries 
been the estate of the Bishop family ; and BrickwaU was, in the 
seventeenth century, the seat of the Tarendens, wealthy land- 
owners and iron-masters. This must not be confounded with 
Brickwall in Northiam. 

The church (St. John the Baptist) occupies a commanding 
site. It consists of a chancel, nave with aisles, and west tower, 
surmounted by a low spire. The chancel arch is semi-circular. 
In a window over the Hancox pew are the arms of Downton, 
predecessors of the Sackvilles : Arg^ on a chief dancetU Sa. three 
goafs^ heads erased of the First, attired Or. The building, which 
in 1866 underwent sound restoration, at a cost of £2,000, con- 
tains memorials of the Sackville, Bishop, and other families. 

[S. A. C. Iron-works, ii, 216. Account books of the Everendens and 
Frewens, iv, 22. xiv, 90. Oxenbridge family, viii, 215. AnAgincourtman, 
XV, 137. Manor of Morley, xiv, 112. Sackvilles, xiv, 229. xvi, 27. Brede 
river, xv, 154. Bells, xvi, 223. Tithes to Battle Abbey, xvii, 55. Cade's 
insurrection, xviii, 25.] 



SELSCOMBE. (See Sedlescombe.) 

SEDGWICK. 

An outlying portion of the parish of Broadwater, in the 
Forest district between Horsham and Nnthurst. It contains 
about 150 acres. For two centuries after the Conquest the 
manor, which extends into the two parishes above mentioned, 
belonged to the family of Le Sauvage, lords of Broadwater, who, 
in 1272, exchanged it with William de Braose for other lands. 
It passed with Bramber until 1572, and since, by purchase and 
descent, it has been vested in Caryll, Bennet, Lennox, Tudor, 
and Nelthorpe. 

The ancient castle, or hunting seat, which formerly existed 
here belonged in succession to the Le Sauvages and De Braoses. 
The park, which surrounded it so lately as 1608, consisted of 624 
acres. The building, as appears from the existing remains, was 
about 200 yards in circuit, and had a double moat. Until within 
the memory of man much more of the outer walls remained 
than can now be traced. The vestiges lie within the grounds of 
Mr. Nelthorpe, of Nuthurst Lodge, who takes due care of them. 
About 30 yards beyond the outer moat is a supply of water called 
St. Mary^s, or more commonly the Nun's, well. 

[8. A. C. Sedgwick Castle {Turner), viii, 31, 40.] 



SELHAM. SELMESTON. 149 

SELHAM. 

Domesday, Selehatn ; a parish on the Western Rother, in the Hundred of 
Easebourne ; Rape of Chichester ; distant four miles east from Mid- 
hurst. Post-town, Petworth. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 
71; in 186J, 123. Benefice, a Rectory valued at £150 ; Patron, 
Brasenose College, Oxford ; Incumbent, Rev. Robert Blackburn, M. A. 
of that College. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1565. Acreage, 
1,042. 

The Saxon elements of this name SSl^ a hall, and hdm^ a 
home, seem to indicate a place of importance. Before the Con- 
quest the manor v^as held by Codnlf of Earl Godwin — afterwards 
of Earl Eoger, by Eobert,- and his sub-tenant Fulco. In the 
reign of Henry II., William de Perci held it of the Honour of 
Arundel. Much later it became the property of the Montagues, 
from whom it descended to the late W. S. Poyntz, Esq. It now 
belongs, with the Cowdray estate, to the Earlof Bgmont. 

The church (St. James) consists of chancel, nave, and south 
aisle. The chancel arch is good Norman. The building has 
lately been restored and enriched with painted glass. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermill, V, 271. xvi, 260. Priory of Calceto had 
lands in, xi, 104. Bell, xvi, 223. Rents to Battle Abbey, xvii, 55.] 



SELMESTON. 

Domesday, Selmestone ; vulgo, Simpson ; a parish in the Hundred of 
Danehill Horsted; Rape of Pevensey ; distant seven miles south-east 
from Lewes, its Post-toym, and on the Eastbourne road. Railway 
station, Berwick, distant about one mile. Union, West Firle. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 149 ; in 1861, 197. Benefice, a Vicarage, united with 
Alciston, valued at.-£208 ; Patrons, the Bishop, and Dean and Chapter 
of Chichester, alteimis victs ; Incumbent, Rev. W. Douglas Parish, 
B.C.L., of Trinity College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1677. Acreage, 1,590. Chief Landowners, Viscount Gage, and James 
Skinner, Esq., M.D. 

Sel-meston seems in some way antithetical to West-meston 
in Lewes rape (see Westmeston), and Sel (Anglo-Saxon) may 
have some reference to an ante-Domesday hall here. At the 
time of the great Survey, William held it of the Earlof Moreton, 
Alfer, a Saxon, having previously been possessor. A church, a 
priest, and five ministri are mentioned. In 25th Edward I., 
Roger Lewknor held the manor of the king by Knights' service, 
and it remained with his descendants until 44th Elizabeth, when 
John Wood was lord. More recently it belonged to the family 
of Eochester, of Ludlay in this parish, and passed with Wannock 



150 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

in Jevin^on. Mays belonged in the 17th century to the family 
of Nutt, and is now part of Lord Gage's estate. Sherrington, 
the property of James Skinner, Esq., belonged in early times 
to the PevereUs, and afterwards to John, son of Oliver Brocas, 
one of the prisoners taken by the French at the battle of Rotting- 
dean, 1377. It afterwards had a family of its own name, and 
the heiress of Simon Sherrington marri ed J ohn Selwyn, whose 
descendants reiiioved about temp. Henry VJJL. to Friston. In the 
17th century the family of Caldecott possessed it, and from them 
it passed to the family of the present owner. Tilton (in Domes- 
day, Telletone) is in this parish, and is now a farm belonging to 
Lord Gage. 

In 1403 a party of French marauders came to Selmeston and 
carried off John Iford, servant of Eobert Profoot. 

The church (St. Mary), which has just undergone repairs, 
previously consisted of nave, south aisle and chancel, with a dove- 
cot tufret and tapering spire. The style is Early English, and 
the notion that certain unsightly posts pointed to a pre-Norman 
wooden church is altogether erroneous. The church has, how- 
ever, one rare peculiarity, the Altar slab of marble with five 
crosses, which remains in situ, and is still used as a communion 
table. In the north wall of the chancel is a recessed altar-tomb 
for Dame Betris Braye, daughter of Balph Sherley of Wiston, 
1532. There are other memorials to the names of Rochester and 
Caldecott. When smuggling was carried on in these parts, the 
" free-traders " had a rendezvous in the churchyard. An old 
altar-tomb served as their temporary storehouse. By lifting the 
incumbent stone they could safely deposit their goods, and it is 
said that they never failed to leave a " tub ^' or two for the use of 
the parson ! I have this anecdote on good clerical authority. 

[S. A. C. Tilton to the Abbey of Otteham, v. 157. Sherrington family, 
V, 160. XV, 210. Manumission of Serfs, ix, 162. Fuller of Mays, xii,255. 
Nutts of Mays, xiii, 98. Manor rents, xir, 263. Selwyn family, xv, 211. 
xviii, 18, 40. Brocas, Peverell, and Fitzherbert, xv, 210. Southall 
manor, xv, 210. French incursion, xv, 213. Bell, 2Lvi, 223. Dame Braye's 
tomb, xvii, 96. Lewknor family, xvii, 97.] 



SELSET.' 



Domesday Seleiste ; a parish in the Hundred of Manhood ; Rape of Chi- 
chester ; distant about nine miles south from Chichester, its Post-town 
and Railway station. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 

♦ The etymology of Pelsey, as given by Bede, namely, " Insula Vituli Marini," 
"the island of seals," is simply fanciful, there being no record of a seal having been 
observed near the place. I should say that an Anglo-Saxon derivation from Sel and 
ea^ the water near the Hall (i.^. of the Bishops), is more reasonable. 



SELSEY. 151 

648 ; in 1861, 900. Benefice, a nnited Rectory and Vicarage, valued at 
JB750 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; Incamhent, Rer. Henry 
Foster, Prebendary of Chichester, of St. John's College, Cambridge. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1662. Acreage, 3,494. Chief 
Landowner, The Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt. 

This peninsula is in many respects, geographical and his- 
torical, one of the most interesting parishes in the county. The 
indent oi the land into the channel called Selsey Bill is the 
most southerly land in Sussex, and is bounded on the west by 
Bracklesham Bay. It possesses little variety of contour, being 
generally of flat surface and liable to incursions of the sea, from 
which it has suffered severely. The earliest monastery founded 
in the county was that established by Saint Wilfred, bishop of 
York, who having been tyrannically driven out of his diocese, 
settled down here for some time, in order to Christianize the 
South-Saxon pagans. King Edilwalch, and Ali, his queen (new 
converts), and Ceadwalla, king of Wessex, also a convert of the 
Saint, became benefactors to the monastery, and an Episcopal 
See was founded here by Wilfred, whose successors for 400 years 
were known as bishops of the South Saxons. Here the see re- 
mained under a long line of prelates until the year 1070, when 
it was deemed expedient to remove such establishments from 
villages into cities and towns. Of the Saxon cathedral and its 
demesnes no traces remain — on shore, that is — ^because the sea 
has so encroached that " the Park " has long been under water. 
The trees, the deer, and all the etcsetera of palatial grandeur 
have utterly disappeared. Still it appears that, so lately as the 
time of Bishop !Rede of Chichester, about the middle of the 14th 
century, Selsey Park was in existence, and poachers stole deer 
therefrom. The prelate excommunicated the offenders, lly " bell, 
book, and candle," and styled them " sons of damnation." The 
site of the palace is supposed to have been nearly a mile from 
the present shore, and ttiat of a submerged forest is still 
traceable at low water, in the shape of stumps of trees. So lately 
as November, 1824, nearly half the parish was temporarily under 
salt water. There are fine firm sands on the shore, and a con- 
siderable fishery for oysters, lobsters, crabs, &c., is carried on. A 
place near the shore called the " Hushing* Pool *' presents a 
singular phenomenon. About midway between the churches of 
Pagham and Selsey the water at certain times of the tide appears 
to be in a state of ebullition, as if from the rushing of immense 
volumes of air to the surface. The space so occupied measures 
about 130 feet by 30. The sound of the bursting of the bubbles 
is said to resemble the simmering of a large cauldron, and may 
be heard on shore to the distance of a quarter of a mile. The 

* Query : If this word be not a corruption of " hissing " ? 



152 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

cause is conjectured to be a large cavity from whicli the air is 
expelled by the in-rush of the water. 

The village consists principally of a long street. The old 
parish church (Our Lady) stood almost two miles from the street, 
but it has recently been removed, except the chancel, which is 
retained for burial services. A new church (St. Peter) has 
recently been erected close to the village. The old fabric origin- 
ally contained shrines for St. Katherine, St. James, St. Mary, St. 
Margaret, and St. Nicholas. The building is supposed to have 
been constructed by Bishop William Bede, between 1369 and 
1385. On the south side of the church-yard is a large earthwork 
with a deep ditch, and other parts of what may have been a British 
fort were no doubt obliterated by the erection of the church. 
Some early tombs remained in the nave when I last visited the 
building, including several coffin-stones with crosses in relief, 
probably for ancient rectors. Against the north wall of the 
chancel there is a monument pleasingly designed, for ** Jhon 
Lews, Sqwyr, and Agas his wife," who died in 1537, " on whose 
soul Ih*u have marce." Their effigies are represented on a small 
scale, and behind them are their patron saints, St. Greorge and 
St. Agatha. 

The peninsula which formerly became insulated at high water 
had to be reached by a ferry, but a raised causeway has been 
constructed, and by means of this it is at all times accessible. 

According to Domesday, Selesie was held by the Bishop in 
domain. In the time of the Confessor it was rated at ten hides, 
and valued at £12 ; affcer the Conquest at £10. There were 14 
villeins and 11 bondmen. Li 1561 the manor was dismembered 
from the see of Chichester, and vested in the Crown. Li 1635 
it was purchased by Sir William Morley. On a subsequent pur- 
chase (1736) by Sir Henry Peachey, Bart., it passed to his 
family, whose nephew. Sir James Peachey, Bart., was created 
Baron Selsey in 1794, and in his descendant, the Hon. Mrs. 
Vernon Harcourt, it now vests. Medmeney and Berkleys are 
reputed manors in the parish. The prebend of Selsey was trans- 
ferred to Chichester, and Bartleys and East Thomey are pre- 
bendal manors. 

Among the curious local manufactures of Sussex may be men- 
tioned that carried on in this parish by Mr. Pullinger. He is 
the inventor and patentee of what is called " the automaton and 
perpetual mousetrap," and employs a large staflF of workmen in 
this muricidal occupation. 

[S. A. C. Morley of, v, 46. St. Wilfred, v, 219. xv, 85. xvi, 261. 
Oslac at, viii, 183. Eadwulf grants to, ibid. Church, xii, 76. Rede of, xii, 
77. Merchant guild at, xv, 176. Bell, xvi, 223. Submerged park, xvi, 
261. Lewknor of, xvii, 81. Water-poet at, xviii, 139. Manor, six, 22. 
Bishopric of, xix, 29.] 



153 
SHERMANBURY. 

Domesday, Salmondesherte ; a parish in the Hundred of Windham and 
Ewhurst ; Rape of Bramber ; distant three miles north from Henfield ; 
Post-town, Hurst- Pierpoint. Railway station, Partridge Green, dis- 
tant about 2^ miles. Union, Steyning. Population in 1811, 270 ; in 
1861, 464. Benefice, a Rectory valued at £387 ; Patroness, Mrs. 
Hunt; Incumbent, Rev. John Matthew Glubb, M.A., of Exeter Col- 
lege, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1653. Acreage, 1,911. 
Chief Landowners^ Mrs. Henry Hunt, Rev. J. Goring, and Henry 
Rideout, Esq. Seats, Shermanbury Park, Mrs. Hunt ; The Grange, 
Mrs. Hoper. 

Our ancestors frequently indicated their land boundaries by 
trees, and this was the case at Shermanbury. A tree at the 
north east comer of the parish shows its junction with Bolney, 
Twineham, and Cowfold. At the time of the Domesday Survey 
the place was held by Ralph, of William de Braose. The ubiqui- 
tous Azor had been the previous tenant under Harold, and was 
rated for two hides. There were a small church, four ministrij 
and three bondmen ; and the manor was estimated at 24 shillings. 
Prom the date of the Conquest to 1349 the manor belonged to the 
family of De Buci, or Bowsey, lords of Kingston-Buci, near 
Shoreham. The De Buci family, as under-tenants of the De 
Braoses, lords of Bramber, paid murage* to them, but they were 
exempted in 1267, on payment of 48 marks. Sybil de Buci, co- 
heiress of the last male heir of that ancient Norman race, married 
Sir John de Islebon, and they assigned Shermanbury to the 
other co-heiress, Joan, wife of Sir WUliam de Fyfhide. John de 
IslQbon, and Sybil, renounced, in favour of Sir William and Joan, 
their claim to the right of " the coat ofar/ns, crest, and helmet,^' 
belonging to the late Hugh de Buci — a singular, though not 
unique instance of this practice in heraldry during the middle 
ages. After the extinction of the male line of Pyfhide in 1387, the 
manor belonged for a time to their heritors, the family of Sandys. 
William, Lord Sandys, in 1542 sold it to William Comber, Esq., 
whose great-grand-daughter, Elizabeth, married Thomas Grat- 
wicke, Esq., and Ae5 great-grandr-daughter, Anne, wife of Thomas 
Lintot, Esq., had an only daughter Cassandra, who married 
Henry Famcombe, Esq., and their only daughter and heiress 
Cassandra, was w^e of John Challen, Esq., father of the late 
Eev. J. Gratwicke Challen, D.D. The old manor house, which 
was pulled down about the year 1780, was of quadrangular 
arrangement, and was replaced by a conveiiient mansion, which 
stands in a small deer-park. The Comber family, who possessed 
the estate for several generations, produced two well-known 

* For the reparations of Bramber Oastle. 



154 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

personages. Thomas, Dean of Carlisle, and John, Dean of Dur- 
ham, who both flourished in the 17th century. It was traditional 
in the family that the first of the Combers killed a Saxon noble- 
man at the battle of Hastings, and was rewarded by the Conqueror 
with the manor of Barkham, in Fletching, but the pedigree 
recorded by the Heralds goes no farther back than the reign of 
Henry VI., and their residence was then at Balcombe, where the 
name still survives. 

Shermanbury contains several other manors : — 1. MorUyy 
whence, perhaps, our ancient family of that name ; 2. Sakekaniy 
which in the 13th century gave name to the family of De Sake- 
ham ; 3. EwhuTsty which extends over a considerable portion of 
this parish and into Cowfold and Henfield. It was the ancient 
residence of the Norman family of Peverel, and passed in the 
same line of descent as Offington to the Lords La Warr. Before 
the year 1600 it was acquired by the Pelhams, and passed suc- 
cessively into the ownership of the families of Byne, Heath, and 
ChaUen. The old manor-house is destroyed, but the moat, and 
a most picturesque gateway, said to be of the time of Edward I. 
(Cartwright), though probably considerably later, still exist. In 
the reign of Philip and Mary, Thomas West, the opulent Lord 
La Warr, occasionally resided here, and a document of that period 
mentions "my Lord's great chamber," a nursery, buttery, kitchen 
and other apartments. " Abbey Lands " in this parish form the 
corpus of the Prebend of Wyndham in Chichester cathedral. 

The church (St. Giles) is a small building, originally in the 
Early English style, but it has been modernized. It contains 
tombstones and tablets to the names of Gratwicke, Farncombe, 
Dr. Bear (rector for more than 50 years), ChaUen, Lintot, &c. 
The font, which has been mutilated, is probably of the 13th 
century. Dr. John Burton, the eminent scholar, and author of 
the whimisical tour in this county called " Iter Sussexiense,*' 
mentions Shermanbury, which he visited in 1761, where his step- 
father. Dr. Bear, was rector, and describes it in classical Greek. 

[S. A. C. Dr. fiurton's visit in Iter Sussexiense, viii, 256. Tithes to 
Sele Priory, x, 115, 116. Peverel of Ewhurst, x, 125. xvi, 261. Fifhide 
of, xii, 31. Lillebone, xii, 33. Wood of, xvi, 49. River Adur, xvi, 251. 
Ewhurst and La Warr ibid, Cheale family, xviii, 157. Gratwicke, xviii, 
157. Donstall family, xix, 94.] 



SHIPLEY. 

A large parish of 7,698 acres, six miles south from Horsham ; Hundred 
of West Grinstead ; Rape of Bramber. Union, Horsham. Benefice, a 
perpetual curacy, in the gift of the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Henry Law Cooper, M.A., of St. John's College, 



SHIPLEY. 155 

Cambridge. Population in 1811, 1,011 ; in 1861, 1,212. Chkf Land- 
owner, Sir Percy Burrell, Bart. Seat, Knepp Castle, the property of 
Sir P. Burrell, and occupied by Major John Aldridge. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1609. 

This parish consists principally of arable, but there are 
pasture, woodlands, shaws and furze. The gault produces very- 
fine oak timber, and the wheat is of excellent quality. The 
principal estate in the parish is Knepp, on which formerly stood 
Knepp Castle, a fortress of Norman date. In a grant from 
William the Conqueror to William de Braose, it is styled the 
** manor and park of CnapJ*^ Of the baronial fortress nothing 
now remainsLcept a pa^ of the keep. The castle wa. origf- 
nally surrounded by a moat. A considerable portion of the out- 
works remained until the beginning of the present century, when 
the surveyors of highways demolished it for the mending of parish 
roads! 

The De Braoses, Lords of Bramber, who built the castle, were 
occasionally resident in it. King John visited it twice on his 
hurried and hasty journeys through Sussex. The families of 
Mowbray and Howard were afterwards in possession, but, hav- 
ing better houses elsewhere, the castle was suffered to go to 
decay. The estate followed the same line of descent as Bramber. 

O n the attainder of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, 38th Henry 
VIII., the manor and demesne devolved to the Crown, and they 
were conferred, 1st Edward Vl., on Sir Thomas Seymour, on 
whose attainder, two years later, they were restored to the Duke 
of Norfolk. In 15th Elizabeth they were again vested in the 
Crown, and descended by successive purchases to the families of 
Nye, Caryll, Belchier, Wicker, Ryder and Raymond. On the 
deatii of Sir Charles Raymond, Bart., in 1789, they descended 
to his two coheiresses, one of whom married Sir William Burrell, 
Bart., whose grandson. Sir Percy Burrell, is now proprietor. 

On the estate, half a mile north-west of the ruins of the castle, 
the late Sir Charles Merrik Burrell built a large mansion in the 
. castellated style, which now forms one of the most convenient 
residences in Sussex. It contains a very valuable gallery of 
pictures. Close to it is the largest piece of water in Sussex — 
Knepp pond, measuring more than 100 acres. It forms a beau- 
tiftd adjunct to the scenery. 

Knepp gave name to a family. Paganus de la Knappe ap- 
pears as a benefactor to Sele or Beeding Priory. 

In the southern part of the parish is an estate called Hook- 
land Park, which belonged to the great estate of the De Braoses. 
William de Braose obtained a charter of free-warren for it, 
when it was called Hoke la Stoke. Temp. Charles I., it belonged 
to the Henshaws, from whom it descended to Bartholomew 



156 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Tipping, Esq. By Mary-Anne, his niece, wife of the Eev. PhiKp 
"Wroughton, it was sold to Philip Rickman, Esq. It is an 
extinct manor. Garingle, or Goringlythe, belonged suc- 
cessively to Le Sauvage, Nevill, Lucy, Caryll, and Peachey. 
Bentons, formerly called Tavernershall, belonged in 1359 to 
Thomas de Bayntune, whence the modern name. From the 
Bayntons, or Bentons, it passed in the lapse of time to the 
CaryUs. In the early part of the eighteenth century, it was 
purchased by Edward Tredcroft, Esq., of Horsham. The manor 
of Pinihurst extends into the parishes of Slinfold and Billings- 
hurst. The Earls of Arundel were possessors in the fourteenth 
century, and it was granted in 1399 to John, Duke of Exeter, 
but in 1400 was restored to the Earl of Arundel, and continued 
with his descendants until 1576, when it was aliened to John 
Apsley of Thakeham. It now belongs to the Norfolk family. 

During the time that the principal part of the parish was in 
the hands of the CaryUs, Philip CaryU, Esq., built on an elevated 
site a house called "New Building." It consisted of many 
rooms, and in a closet belonging to the garret there was a cup- 
board with two shelves, which served for steps. This was one 
of the many " hiding places " for Eomish priests. This func- 
tionary could ascend through a false top of the cupboard to a 
place of concealment. A chapel attached to the building was 
commenced, but never finished. The Carylls were the leading 
Koman Catholics in Sussex at the time. Durrants is another 
extinct manor, which was long the property of the Michell 
family. There is a tradition that, during the civil wars, some 
members of this family headed an attack on Knepp Castle, then 
garrisoned by the Parliamentary forces, but there are no docu- 
ments relating to this siege. 

The church (probably St. Mary), which was formerly served 
by a " conductitius '^ or removeable curate, consists of a single 
pace or nave with a tower, surmounted by a pyramidal shingled 
spire, between the nave and chancel. The length is 114 feet. 
The tower arches are semi-circular. The one opening into the 
nave is elaborately ornamented. The edifice dates from the be- 
ginning of the twelfth century, when it was appropriated to the 
Knights-Templars ; but many later insertions have been made. 
The ceiling is of oak, flat, and divided into compartments, which 
have been painted alternately azure and gules with gilt knots 
and mouldings. On the former there were, in 1830, some 
armorial bearings including the Maltravers fret and the coat of 
Lucy. On the south side of the chancel is a splendid but dila- 
pidated monument of marble, representing a recumbent knight 
in armour, and, below, the kneeling effigies of his children. This 
is for Sir Thomas Caryll, of Bentons, who died in 1616. There 



SHULBRED PRIORY. 157 

are other old memorials for the names of Michell, Hindley, 
Harmes, &c. In the church chest is a wooden reliquary of great 
interest and value. It is seven inches long and six high, and 
is gilt and enamelled on the sides and ends, with the subject of 
the Crucifixion and with angels. It is probably of Byzantine 
workmanship, and apparently of the 12th or 13th century. 

On the north side of the church there was formerly an echo, 
which, in a stiU night, repeated the 21 syllables : — 

*' Os homini sublime dedit coelumque tueri, 
Jussit et erectos." 

But, alas ! as at Bodiam, the responsive nymph has become 
shy, and no longer favours us by flinging back our words into 
our teeth. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 217. Knepp Castle, iii, 1. v, 143. xvi, 245. xviii, 
146. Visit of King John, i, 134, and Edward II., vi, 48. Knights Templars, 
ix, 246. Eeliq[uar7, ix, 264. Papal arrests, ix, 265. Godfrey de Strete given 
to Sele, X, 118. Church, xii, 108. Wellers of, xii, 108. xiii, 124. Bells, xvi, 
223. Mowbrays of, xvi, 245. River Adur, xvi, 249. Knepp Pond, xvi, 249. 
Cade's insurrection, xviii, 24. British gold coin, xviii, 69.] 



SHULBEED PRIORY. 



This small monastic foundation was in the parish of Linch- 
mere, on the north-west confines of the county, near Midhurst. 
It was founded by Sir Ralph de Ardeme, before the reign of 
Henry III. for five Augustinian canons. Its history possesses 
little of interest. At the dissolution of the monasteries it was 
granted first to Sir William Fitz William, and afterwards to Sir 
Anthony Browne. Some remains of the Priory still exist in a 
farm house, with medieval features. There is a room of consid- 
erable size, known as the Prior's chamber, which is reached by a 
stone staircase. This apartment retains some mural paintings, 
about which a great deal has been said in topographical works, 
as if they belonged to pre-Reformation times. This, however, I 
am sure is not the case. They clearly belong to about the 
beginning of the 17th century, and are quite in the taste of that 
quaint period. They are nearly obliterated, but still possess 
considerable interest. The principal painting has reference to 
the birth of Jesus Christ, .and certain animals converse on that 
great event. The interlocutors are first a cock, which has a label 
issuing from his mouth, and the words Christus natits est. Then 
a duck says, Quando^ quando ? A raven replies, In hoc node. A 
cow bellows out, IJbi^ ubiy and a lamb answers Bethlam. The 
arms and motto of James L sufficiently fix the date of this 



158 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

curious paint-work. The living of LiQchmere was formerly in 
the patronage of this small prioiy, the remains of which occupy 
a low and sequestered dell, and are only approached with diffi- 
culty, especially, Tne testCj during the mud of winter. 



OLD SHOEEHAM. 

Domesday, Soresham; a parish in the Hundred of Fishersgate; Eapeof 
Bramber, adjacent to New Shoreham, its Post-town and Bailway 
station. Population in 1811, 210 ; m 1861, 282. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1566. It is a vicarage yalned at £458, in the gift of 
Magdalen College, Oxford ; Incumbent, Rev. Jas. Bowling Mozley, 
B.D. 

The parish consists partly of low meadow or brook-land on 
the left bank of the Adnr, and partly of arable and down. 
Before the Conqnest it was held by the great proprietor, Azor, 
of the King. It was then rated at 12 hides. After that time it 
was assessed at 5f hides only, and had a church, 26 villeins, 
49 bondmen, and a wood yielding sustenance for 40 hogs. At a 
later date it became parcel of the Duchy of Cornwall, and was 
purchased of the Crown by Charles, Duke of Norfolk. Another 
manor of Old Shoreham, alias Buspar, belonged successively to 
the families of Arundel (Fitz-Alan), Cobham, Bowyer, Boorde, 
Grage, Blaker, Monk, Elliston, Elliot, and Bridger, the last- 
named family being possessors of the estate of Buckingham, 
with its handsome mansion. This estate gave name to the 
family of De Bokyngham. The manors of Erringham-Walsted 
and Erringham-Braose are now united. The latter belonged in 
early times successively to the families of De Wistoneston, De 
Harcourt, Bavent, Braose, Shirley, Bellingham, Juxon, and 
Tufton. ti 1774 it passed to the Bridger family, now proprietors 
of almost the whole parish. The BeUinghams were an old 
Northumberland family (whose descendants are still resident in 
Sussex), and were proprietors till 1660. An ancient ferry over 
the Adur belonged to the Priory of Hardham. This was super- 
seded in the last century by a wooden bridge, 600 feet long, and 
since then the Norfolk bridge, and the railway bridge, lower 
down the Adur, have altogether outdone the once-famed Shore- 
ham bridge. 

The cruciform church (St. Nicholas) is in the Norman style, 
and has within the last few years been repaired and refitted. 
Mr. Hussey says of it : " It is remarkable for the small number 
of windows, and the consequent darkness of the nave ; as also 
for possessing on the tie-beams of the chancel the tooth-mould- 
ing, which is rarely found carved in wood.'* The interior arches 



NEW SHOREHAM. 159 

are liighly ornamented. Among the memorials of the dead we 
find the names of Monk, Poole, Fowler, Elgar, O'Hara, &c. 

[S. A. C. Pensions to Beeding Priory, x, 115. Calceto had lands in, 
xi, 102. Church, xii, 109 ; xYi, 236. Bell, xvi, 224. Adur at, xyi, 254. 
Avery of, xix, 201.] 



NEW SHOREHAM. 



A borough, town, and parish in the Rape of Bramber ; distant about six miles 
west from Brighton. It is a Post-town, and has a Railway station. 
Union, Steyning. Population in 1811, 770; in 1861, 3,351, and 
now upwards of 4,000. Benefice, a Vicarage, in the gift of Magdalen 
College, Oxford. Incumbent, Rev. Harris Smith, D.D., of Oriel Col- 
lege, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1568. 

This parish of 170 acres is the smallest in the Rape of Bram- 
ber, though both its present population and its former historical 
importance place it in a good rank among Sussex towns. Shore- 
ham has undergone the vicissitudes common to every seaport on 
our southern coast. On the decay of Old Shoreham, consequent 
on the decline of the port which once existed there, this town 
sprang into existence, and was dismembered from its mother 
parish. It was the port of the river Adur, and had more mari- 
time commerce than any town in Sussex. The river now de- 
bouches at Kingston-Bowsey, a considerable distance eastward 
of the town. The harbour is convenient, and much trade is 
carried on. But by the encroachments of the sea in and before 
the year 1432 its population was reduced to 500, and the inhabi- 
tants were in a state of great poverty. The manor, which is co- 
extensive with the parish, belonged to the De Braoses, lords of 
Bramber, and followed the same line of descent as that barony. 
In 1326 a house of Carmelite Friars was founded here by John 
de Mowbray. There is little history connected with this esta- 
blishment, and it shared the common fate under Henry VIII. 
There were also two hospitals dedicated respectively to St. James, 
and Our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

The borough of New Shoreham returned two members to 
Parliament from 23rd Edward I. ; but in the year 1770, a cir- 
cumstance occurred which changed the character of the borough. 
A society calling themselves the Christian Club, nominally 
formed for charitable purposes, but actually for the sale of the 
representation, became the subject of Parliamentary investiga- 
tion. The result was that in 11th George III. the borough was 
disfranchised, and the right of election was extended to all 40s. 
freeholders in the Bape of Bramber, Eighty-one of the club 
were ousted, but the rest and their successors retained their 



160 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

votes. In the reign of Edward III* the port of Shoreham fttr- 
nished forth towards the royal fleet before Calais 26 ships and 
829 mariners. 

The church (St. Mary) was, as originally built, a fine cruciform 
structure, 210 feet in length ; but nearly the whole of the nave 
fell to decay. An effort, however, has been made to restore it, 
and the rest of the edifice, at a cost of £10,000. The nave, 
tower, and transepts are Norman, but the capitals on the north 
and south sides of the tower indicate a difference of date. The 
rich choir end is later, and disproportionately long with reference 
to the west limb of the cross (Hussey). The church is one of 
the most beautiftd and interesting in the county, as well as one 
of the largest. It is externally and internally most grand and 
picturesque. For architectural details I must refer the reader 
to Cartwright's "Rape of Bramber,^'p. 57. The tower contains 
five bells. The monumental remains are of little interest. The 
only medieval one is a brass representing a civiKan and his wife 
in the costume of the time of Henry VI., without any inscrip- 
tion. The names commemorated by the others are West, 
Shirley, Aldersey, Forth, Bulford, Smith, Chapman, Eudhall, 
Hooper, Kilvington, Reynolds, &c. The election of members for 
the borough was formerly held in the north transept of the 
church ! 

Both this church of St. Mary and that of St. Nicholas, Old 
Shoreham, were given by William de Braose, the first Lord of 
Bramber, to the French Abbey of Saumur. They were both 
probably built by the great baronial family of Braose, assisted 
by the opulent merchants of the port.* 

Shoreham in early times received several royal visits. In 1199 
King John, immediately after the death of Cceur-de-Lion, landed 
at this port, which was then a great entrepdt of continental com 
and wine. He was accompanied by a considerable army. In the 
same year he embarked here for the purpose of holding a con- 
ference with the King of France. The place then possessed an 
arsenal, and was equally important as to shipping with the port 
of Plymouth, and superior to those of Bristol, Dover, and 
London. In 1306 Edward I. was here on one of his southern 
journeys. In the reign of Henry VIII. the town suffered much 
from the predatory inroads of the French. In the great storm 
of 1 703, Shoreham was severely visited. The market-house, a 
strong and ancient building, was blown down, and all the 
town shattered. 

* It is, perhaps, not correct to say that the churches were given hy De Braose to 
the Abhey of 8aumur, because neither of them was erected so early as 1075 ; but the 
ecclesiastical rights of Shoreham were certainly granted to that establishment^ and 
afterwards transferred to the Priory of Sele, now Seeding. ^ 



SIDLESHAM. 161 

Shoreham is not prepossessingin appearance. Its chief orna- 
ment, besides the church, is the fine suspension bridge crossing 
the Adur, which was built in 1833 at the expense of the Duke 
of Norfolk, and has been of material advantage to the town. 
The principal trade carried on is that of ship-building, and the 
maritime commerce includes relations with many countries. 
The movement of what are called " high church principles,'' has 
one of its chief centres in the town, and there are two educa- 
tional establishments known as St. Saviour's and St. Mary's, for 
the sons of the " lower middle class." A full history of this 
ancient town is a desideratum in Sussex topography. 

The escape of Charles II., after his circuitous route from 
Worcester fight is said to have been from this place, **sed 
dubito." I believe that the royal fugitive took flight from a 
spot between Brighton and Shoreham. 

[S. A. C. Embarkation of the Duke of Ormond, v, 89. Dr. Burton on 
the political bribery here, viii, 264. Wool-smuggling, x, 69. Church, x, 
102, 115 ; xii,109; xvi, 234. Carmelite Friars, x, 109; xv, 22. Blakere 
of, X, 109. Battery, xi, 151. "Atlas Maritimus" report, xi, 181. Market 
house, xii, 55. The two hospitals, xiii, 52. Bells, xvi, 223. Church-notes 
[Bloxam). Koyal Arsenal, xvi, 223. River Adur, xvi, 233. Sea- 
encroachments, xvi, 234. Suspension bridge, xvi, 254. Horse-shoes sent to 
Newcastle, xvii, 117. Road to London, xix, 155, 163. Mention of, xix, 
164. Venetian ships' charts, xx, 225.] 



SIDLESHAM. 



Domesday, Silleicham ; a parish in the Hundred of Manhood ; Rape of 
Chichester; distant ^yq miles from Chichester, its Post-town and 
Railway station. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 
865 ; in 1861, 960. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £182 ; Patron, 
the Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. William Bruton. B.A., 
of Exeter College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1566. 
Acreage, 4,109. 

This seaboard parish, chiefly arable, with a little pasture 
and woodland, has a considerable village near its north-east 
boundary. The manor was conferred by the Saxon monarch 
Ceadwalla on Wilfred, as a portion of his gift to the see of Sel- 
sey, and this grant was confirmed by William the Conqueror to 
that see. It was rated at 12 hides, and there were 16 villeins 
with 14 bondmen. There were under tenants, named Gilbert, 
Eozelin, and Ulph. The value before and after the Conquest 
was £10, and the homagers paid 66s. The manor vested in the 
Bishops of Chichester, tiU they were deprived by the act of 2nd 
Elizabeth. Montague, then Bishop, complained loudly, but 

VOL. II. M 



\ 



162 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

vainly, of this act of spoliation. George Stoughton, one of tte 
Commissioners imder that act, bought, it was averred, for £300 
what was worth £300 per annum. The property subsequently 
passed to the names and families of Compton, Farrington, Bull, 
Johnson, Price, &c. The prebend of Sidlesham is in Chichester 
cathedral, and possesses a farm here and in Eamley, and it has 
undergone many changes of ownership. The prebend of High- 
ley, which belongs to the master of the Prebendal Grammar 
School at Chichester, founded by Bishop Storey, long possessed 
a large portion of the great tithes of Sidlesham. Okehurst, an 
estate in the south part of the parish, formerly gave name to a 
family, one of whom founded a chantry in Chichester cathedral 
in the year 1287. There are in the parish two reputed manors, 
called Hammes and Keynor, of no historical interest so far as I 
have been able to discover. The Sidlesham tide-mills, the only 
ones in Sussex, except those at Bishopston, in the eastern divi- 
sion of the county, are supplied by the estuary of Pagham Har- 
bour. They were erect/ed by a merchant of Chichester, Mr. 
Woodroffe Drinkwater. The estuary affords considerable ship- 
ping facilities for vessels of small burden. This parish has suf- 
fered greatly (like many neighbour parishes) from the incursions 
of the sea ; as many as 2,700 acres are said to have been " de- 
vastated," though probably not permanently submerged, before 
the year 1341. This we learn from the Nonae EoUs. 

The church (St. Mary) is a very picturesque building in the 
Early English style, with an embattled tower of later date. In 
the building is a carved chest of considerable antiquity, which is 
figured in Horsfield^s " Sussex.'^ Near the chancel is a mural 
monument with two kneeling figures, for George Taylor and his 
wife Eebecca, daughter of John Bennet, of London, Esq., 1631. 
There are two bells, one of which is inscribed, in Lombardic cha- 
racters, to St. James. 

There seems to have been a chapel, called Easton or Eston, 
connected with Sidlesham, but Mr. Gibbon, in his elaborate ac- 
count of West Sussex churches and chapels, cannot discover its 
locus in quo. In several wills of the sixteenth century Eston is 
called Sbparisky and offerings of sheep and cows were bequeathed. 
It would be interesting to ascertain the site of this defunct 
chapel. A parish, I think, could never have existed eo nomine. 

[S. A. C. Church, xii, 77. Eston chapel, ibid, Bonville, lands of, xv, 
59. Church bells, xvi, 224. Tide-mills, xyi, 260. Bishop Henshawe, lands 
in, xix, 107.] 



SIDLEY GREEN. A hamlet of BexhiU. 



163 
SINGLETON. 

Domesday, StUetone ; a parish in the Hundred of Westbourne ; Eape of 
Chichester ; distant six miles north-east from Chichester, its Post- 
town and Railway station. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 
1811, 275; in 1861, 556. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £115; 
Patron, Duke of Richmond ; Incumbent, Rev. F. A. Bowles, M. A., 
of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1664. 
Acreage, 5,010. Chief Landowners y The Duke of Richmond, Lord 
Leconfield, and the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt. Seat, Molecombe 
House, H. S. H. Prince Edward of Baxe Weimar. 

This pleasant and picturesque village is situated in a valley 
of the South Downs, about midway between Chichester and Mid- 
hurst. Charlton (which see) is a hamlet in the parish. The 
population of Singleton, which is very small, considering the 
area of the parish, is gradually decreasing. In Domesday Book 
Silletone is mentioned as having been the property of Earl God- 
win, and was estimated at £89. Afterwards it passed, with the ' 
Bape of Chichester, to the Earl of Montgomeri, and was valued 
at £93, and a mark of gold. Upon the division of the Eitz- 
Alan estates, John, Lord Lumley became possessor. By an act 31st 
George II., Charlton Forest was granted by the Crown to the 
Duke of Richmond, and in his family it still vests. Drove 
House, the property of Lord Leconfield, is occupied by the Hon. 
R. Denman, and Molecombe House, the property of the Duke of 
Richmond, is the mansion of Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar. 
The Goodwood race-stand is in Singleton. During the week of 
those celebrated races nearly one hundred race-horses are stabled 
in the parish, and the lovers of the turf get accommodation in 
the neighbouring cottages. Rooks Hill, which is said to have 
derived its name from St. Roche, is upwards of 700 feet above 
the level of the sea. It commands one of the most magnificent 
views in Sussex, including the coast from Beachy Head to Ports- 
mouth, and a grand expanse of inland scenery. On this hill 
are ancient earthworks called the Trundle, probably of early 
British date. During the civil wars of the 17th century, a 
thousand men called the club men, from the Parliamentary side, 
having furnished their friends with clubs, occupied this hiU, and 
are said to have been guilty of " divers outrageous proceedings.'* 
Dounley Castle, in this parish, no longer in existence, was a 
hunting seat belonging to the Earls of Arundel, in the 16th and 
16th centuries. 

The church (St. John the Evangelist) consists of tower, nave, 
aisles, and chancel. The tower is early Norman. A portion of 
the building is said to have been burnt down in the 14th century, 
and the present architecture is early Perpendicular work. It is 

M 2 



164 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

very symmetrical, and forms a perfect specimen of a modest 
village chorcli. There are two beUs. Of Ckirlton Forest and 
hunt, see Charlton. 

IS. A. C. Rising of clubmen, v, 85. Church of, xii, 77. xix, 103. Bells 
of, xvi, 224. Curious implement found at, xvi, 300. Drove House, xvi, 
300. Downley Castle, xvi, 300. xix, 102. Medal found at, xvi, 301. Lavant 
river at, xvi, 261. Charles II. flight, xviii, 115. ColUcks of, xix 94. 
Manor belonged to Lord Lumley, xix, 102. Patronage belonged to Lord 
Lumley, xix, 103. London road to Chichester, xix, 167.] 

SLAUGHAM. 

Pronounced Slaffham ; a parish in the Hundred of Buttinghill ; Rape of 
Lewes ; distant five miles from Cuckfield and six from Horsham. Post- 
town and Union, Cuckfield. Railway stations, Horsham and Hays^ards 
Heath. Population in 1811, 759 ; in 1861, 1518. Benefice, a Rec- 
tory, valued at £460 ; Patron in 1866, Warden Sergison, Esq. ; 
Incumbent, Rev. William Sergison, M.A., of Brazenose College, 
Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1655. Acreage, 5^63. 
Seats, Slaugham Park, Dencombe, J. Manship Norman, Esq.; High 
Beeches, Robert Loder, Esq; Ashfold, William Peters, Esq.; Wood- 
side, Ph. Rawson, Esq. ; Colwood, Rev. J. Oliver Haweis ; Hyde, 
Edward Smith Bigg, Esq.; The Hall, Edward Stanford, Esq., &c., 
&c. The parish abounds with excellent residences. 

This Wealden parish contains the four scattered hamlets of 
Slaugham proper, Handcross, Warninglid, and Pease-pottage — 
all names of uncertain etymology, except the second, which 
shows the former existence^ of a medieval direction-cross, with 
a hand affixed to point out the principal road. The parish, 
though somewhat sterile, is undulating and picturesque, and 
well suited for country houses and villas. A tributary of the 
Ouse — or perhaps the Ouse itself— rises at Upper Heeding, close 
by, and here, at Slaugham mill, expands into a lake of 25 acres. 
This place is not mentioned eo nomine in Domesday, and it was 
probably at that period unreclaimed from the great forest tract. 
Early in the reign of Edward III., however, it was useful as 
hunting-ground, as is proved by the fact that Thomas, Lord 
Poynings had a charter of free-warren here. At his death, in 
the memorable sea-fight at Sluys, the manor and advowson 
descended to his son Michael, who accompanied the king in his 
Continental wars, and was buried at Poynings, where, and at 
this place, masses were annually said for his soul, as they also 
were for his son and successor, Thomas, Lord Poynings. At 
subsequent dates the noble families of Berkeley and Stanley 
became in succession lords. In the latter part of the fifteenth 
century the grand old family of Covert, of Norman descent, 



SLAUGHAM. 165 

became owners, and so continued until 1679, when Sir John 
Covert, Bart., dying without male issue, the estate became a 
portion of the inheritance of his elder coheiress Anne, who 
married Sir James Moi-ton. Subsequently it passed from the 
Morton family to that of Sergison, iu whom it now vests. 

The Coverts were among the greatest landed proprietors in 
the South of England, and tradition says that they might travel 
over their own manors from Southwark to the English Channel. 
Before becoming possessed of Slaugham they were lords of 
Sullington, and previously, temp, Henry II., of Chaldon in 
Surrey. In 1494 William Covert, Esq., probably the original 
settler here, bequeathed 40s. to the repairs of the church where 
he desired to be buried, and to have a " vertuous priest ^^ (Dr., 
M.A., or B.A.) to sing for his soul at the yearly stipend of £8. 
Several later members of the family were buried in the church. 
Of the earliest residence of the Coverts and their predecessors 
nothing is known. The now existing remains of the manor- 
house are doubtless part of what was originally one of the 
finest mansions in Sussex. The site is low and damp, and quite 
unworthy of an almost palatial abode. Sir Walter Covert, of 
Maidstone, who married his cousin Covert, the heiress of 
Slaugham, was probably the builder ; but, like many other Sussex 
mansions of that period, it seems to have been erected only to 
fall to almost immediate neglect and decay. The remains are, 
however, "sublime in ruin," with lofty arcades and splendid 
heraldric decorations. Of these Mr. Blaauw has given very 
accurate descriptions and views in the "Sussex Collections,'^ 
Vol. X. The dimensions, 175 feet by 133, give an idea of its 
great size, but its ambit was far larger, with a square stone 
wall, turrets, and a moat — ^the latter no longer existing. A large 
sheet of water, close by, was, however, connected with it. The 
style of the house was a rich and graceful Palladian. The in- 
terior court measured 80 feet ; the great hall was 54 feet long, 
and the kitchen 35 feet, with a great fire-place 13 feet wide. It 
is sad to look upon the ruins of this fine old mansion, though 
great pains have been taken to preserve what time and mercen- 
ary spoliation have left us. The great staircase, of the Jacobean 
period, much resembling (though better than) that at the Charter- 
house in London, is now to be seen at the Star Hotel at Lewes, 
the re-builder of which, Mr. Ade, rescued it in the last century 
from destruction. It is most elaborate in ornamentation, and 
has several allegorical carvings. The house originally had a 
private chapel, and was surrounded by a park. According to 
tradition- the domestic establishment numbered 70 persons. 

The benefice is styled in the Liber Eegis, " Slougham cum 
Crol^," which would indicate that the neighbouring church of 



166 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Crawley was formerly a cliapel dependent on it. The clrarcli 
(St. Mary) is cliiefly in the Decorated style, with traces of earlier 
work. It consists of an excellent vaulted nave, south aisle, 
tower, and two chancels. The northern chancel or chapel was 
bnilt by the desire of Michael de Poynings, whose will is dated 
1868, at a cost of £40. It had an altar dedicated to St. James. 
The tower is low, and contains five bells, dated 1773. There 
are several interesting memorials of the Covert and other fami- 
lies. A fall len^^ brass commemorates Silo^n iSobttt, Esq., son 
of William Covert, 1603 ; and another, Jane Covert, who 
survived two knightly husbands, and died in 1586. A monu- 
ment in the chancel is for Sichard Covert, Esq., who, 
together with his two wives, and a numerous progeny by the 
first marriage, are represented in effigy— date 1679. The most 
remarkable monument is for lUchard Covert, who married four 
times, and who is represented with three of his conjuges^ with 
curious allegorical adornments, and labels in brass— date 1647. 
There are later memorials for the names of Evans, Matcham,* 
Ellison, &c. During the progress of alterations in this church 
some years since, several mural paintings were discovered. They 
represented the Flagellation, Crucifixion, and the Last Supper of 
Our Lord, together with the conveyance of a soul to heaven by 
angels. 

[8. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 217. iii, 242. Covert family, v, 49. x, 158. 
xiii, 310. xvi, 33. xviii, 158. xix, 94. Manor-house, x, 158. Poynings 
family, xii, 34. xv, 7. Church, xii, 108. xv, 22. Mural paintings (Cam- 
pion), xiii, 237. Michell and Burstowe, xvi, 49. Church bells, xvi, 224.] 



SLINDON. 

Domesday, Eslindone ; a parish in the Hundred of Aldwick ; Rape of Chi- 
chester ; distant three miles north-west from Arundel, its Post-town. 
Railway stations, Arundel and Barkh am lane. Union, West Hampnett. 
Population in 181 1, 437 ; in 1861, 543. Benefice a Rectory, valued at 
£219; Patron, Wniiam Joshua Tilley, Esq ; Incumbent, Rev. WU- 
liam Chan tier Izard, M. A., of Christ Church College, Cambridge. Date 
of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 2,504. Chief LandowneTy 
Colonel Leshe, of Slindon House. 

" Eslindone " was held at the date of Domesday by Earl 
Roger de Montgomeri. It was granted by Henry I. to Anselm, 
Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1643, Henry VHI. exchanged 
it with Cranmer. Temp. Mary it was granted to Anthony 
Kempe, Esq., of the great family of that name at OUantigh 

♦ Francis Griffith Matcham, who died at Ashfold Lodge, 1808, set. 12, was a nephew 
of Admiral Lord NelBon. 



SLINDON. 167 

in Kent, whose descendant in the fifth generation, Barbara 
Kempe, became heiress, and married James Bartholomew Rad- 
cliffe, Earl of Newbnrgh. His son, Anthony James, Earl of 
Newburgh, died without issue in 1814, and Slyndon ultimately 
passed to his cousin and heiress Dorothy Eyre, Countess New- 
burgh, who married Colonel Leslie, K.H., and so conveyed it to 
him, and he now possesses it. SUndon House is presumed by 
Dallaway to have been originally built by one of the Arch- 
bishops, in the thirteenth century, and the celebrated primate 
Stephen Langton died here in 1228. After its acquisition by 
the Kempes, Sir Garret Kempe, early in the reign of Elizabeth, 
rebuilt the mansion, which has been altered and added to at 
various periods. It is delightfully situated on an elevation in 
a richly wooded park, and commands a sea-view from Worthing 
to the Isle of Wight. The Slindon beeches have a wide re- 
nown. The great hall is rich in the armorial ensigns of the 
Kempes and their family connections. The Boman Catholic 
chapel has a good picture of the Taking-down from the Cross, 
and among the fine, works of art with which the house is 
adorned, is the celebrated painting of the Beggar of Antwerp. 
This is one of the few places in Sussex in which the cultus of 
the Koman church has been preserved with little interruption 
from the days of the Reformation. A new Roman Catholic 
church was erected in 1865, the Rev. John Sheehan being priest. 
The parish church (Our Lady) is small, consisting of nave, north 
and south aisles and chancel, in the Early English style. Li a re- 
cessed tomb in the chancel is a knightly effigy in wood, supposed 
to be for Sir Anthony Kempe, the grantee of Slindon in the six- 
teenth century, but quite as likely to be that of Anthony St. 
Leger, whose will, dated 1539, directs burial here. There are 
other memorials of the Kempes, &c.* (Horsfield). At the en- 
trance to the church-yard there stood, within memory, a chapel 
of St. Mary, with one lancet window. The parish and its 
associations deserve far more notice than they have received 
from local historians. 

[S. A. C. Palace of the Archbishops, v. 138. xvii, 121. King Edward I. 
visits Slindon, ii, 153 (swans and peacocks were part of the royal bill of fare). 
Families of Hyllys, Pynham, Wyatt, St. Leger, Kempe, with notes on 
Church, xii, 98, 99. Wyatt, xiii, 303. Allen's charity, xvi, 41. Bells, xvi, 
224. Boniface de Slyndon, xvii, 144. Slindon, xviii, 95. Newlands of, xix, 
116. Cox, minister of, and Whittingtons of, xix, 120. Canterbury, Arch- 
bishops of, xix, 126. Pagham, xix, 126. Newburghs and Leslies, xix, 126. 
Thomas a Becket at, xix, 128. 

* During a recent restoration, the foundations of the church as built by Archbishop 
Anselm were discovered. It appears originally to have had transepts. Traces of 
very early Norman Work were discovered. 



168 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

SLINFOLD. 

A parish in the Hundred of West Easwrith ; Eape of Arundel ; distant four 
miles west from Horsham, its Post-town. Railway station, Horsham ; 
distant about four miles. Union, Horsham. Population in 1811, 549; 
in 1861, 755. Benefice, a Eectory and Vicarage united, valued at £472. 
Patron, the Bishop of Chichester; Incumbent, Rev. Robert Sutton, 
M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1558. Acreage, 4,330. Chief Landowner s, The Buke of Norfolk, Ca.p- 
tain Bunny, N. P. Simes, Esq., Sir P. P. Shelley, Bart., and Thomas 
Child, Esq. Seats, Strood Park, N. P. Simes, Esq.; the Lodge, Captain 
Bunny; Windalls, Thomas Child, Esq., &c. 

This Wealden parish lies on the Roman road called Stane 
street, which, passing from Chichester to London, intersects it 
for the space of more than two miles. The material called 
Horsham-stone abounds in the north-east part of the parish. 
The principal manor, Dedisham, is divided between Slinfold and 
Endgwick. It belonged to the family of Tregoz from 1271 to 
the extinction of that family, and in 1530 it was in the hands 
of their heirs-general, the Lewknors. In 1547, Edward VI. 
granted it to Sir Eichard Blount, Lieutenant of the Tower, from 
whose descendants it passed about 1630 to the family of Onslow. 
In 1786, J. Williams Onslow, Esq., sold it to Charles, Duke of 
Norfolk, and it now forms parcel of the hereditary este.tes. The 
great park has been converted into farms, and the ancient manor 
house, after having been ransacked by Sir William Waller's 
soldiers in 1643, fell to decay, though a few of the offices re- 
main as a farm-house. The manor of Drungewick Kes partly 
in this parish, and is called Bradbridge. Kie family of De 
Bradbridge held it hereditarily from the Bishops of Chichester 
from 1355 to 1517, when Sir Henry Hussey obtained it by mar- 
riage with Eleanor, sole daughter and heiress. The seat was 
called Town House. George Hussey of this family is supposed to 
have aliened his right about 1666, and the lands form part of 
the settled estates of the Duke of Norfolk. Strood belonged in 
succesion to Atte Strode and Stanbridge. In 1466, John Cowper, 
Esq., lineal ancestor of the Earl Cowper, and of the poet, ac- 
quired it in marriage with the heiress of Stanbridge. The 
representative of the Slinfold Cowpers sold the estate to John 
William Commerell, Esq., who was sheriff of Sussex in 1803. 
" A great part of the ancient residence of the Cowpers still re- 
mains, to which considerable additions have been made by the 
present proprietor.'^ Dallaway (1832). It is now the elegant 
mansion of Nathaniel P. Simes, Esq. 

Hill, so called from its situation on an insulated mount in the 
centre of the parish, belonged to the Husseys, by whom it was 



soMPriNG, 169 

aliened, temp, James I., to Thomas Cliurchar, whose father was 
of Chiddingly, in 1570. 

The church (St. Peter) was bmlt by Bishop Ealph II., of Chi- 
chester, about 1230. It had until recently a nave and north 
aisle, with a small sepulchral chapel belonging to the manor of 
Dedisham, and a massive tower with shingled spire. The last 
" was supported by four upright beams, of a length and diameter 
very seldom seen.'^ (Dallaway.) In 1779, repairs were made 
which concealed the ancient features. In 1861, the church was 
rebuilt in the Early Decorated style from designs by Mr. B. 
Ferrey, at a cost of nearly £4,000. Dallaway mentions among 
the memorials a slab for Richard Bradbryge, gent, and his 
family, 1583 ; another supposed for Balph Cowper, of Strood ; 
the helmet and crest of Sir Henry Hussey, 1557 ; two mural 
monuments of alabaster, with painted figures for Mary, wife of 
Eichard Blount, and daughter of Sir William West, Lord La 
Warr, and her daughter, Katherine, 1617, and Jane Blount, 
another daughter, 1621; Edward Cowper, of Strood, 1678; 
and his son Henry Cowper, 1706 ; and grandson Edward Cow- 
per, 1725; with other memorials for Leland, Lowe, Jones, &c. 
In the Dedisham chapel is the carved figure of a lady, supposed 
of the Tregoz famUy. Matthew Woodman, grandson of Eichard 
Woodman, the Protestant martyr burnt at Lewes in 1557, was 
ejected from this rectory in 1662 for nonconformity. 

[ S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 217. King Edward II. visits the Lelands, vi, 47. 
Roman remains, road, &c., xi, 145. Church, xii, 108. Mose of, xii, 108. 
Churchar family, xiv, 233. Cowper or Cooper, xii, 109 ; xvi, 35, 50. Parish 
charity lost, xvi, 37. Theoneden and Hill, xvi, 50. Bells, xvi, 224. Adur, 
xvi, 249. Aran, xvi, 256. Evershed family, xvii, 247. Slinfold, xviii, 107. 
Dedisham, xviii, 173. xix, 158. Blounts of, (bid. Mone (Moon) of, xviii, 
173. Warton, poet and historian, xix, 162.] 



SOMPTING. 

Domesday, Sultinges; vulgo, Sounttng ; a parish in the Hundred of 
Brightford ; Rape of Bramber ; distant three miles north-east from 
Worthing, its Post-town. Railway station. Lancing, distant about 
one mile. Union, Steyning. Population in 1811, 441 ; in 1861, 682. 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £199 ; Patron, Henry Crofts, Esq.; 
Incumbent, Rev. John Blake Honnywill, B. A., of St. John's College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1546. Acreage, 2,930. 
Seat, Sompting Abbots, Henry Crofts, Esq. 

This parish contains about 1,000 acres of down, the rest 
being fertile arable land, sloping towards the south. At the 
date of the Domesday survey there were 19 villeins, and 16 



170 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

bondmen, a church, 5 servi, a mill, and 8 salt-pans. A knight 
held one hide, two villeins, four bondmen, and a salt-pan. In 
the time of the Confessor it was estimated at £8, and afterwards 
at £7 8s. Lewin held lands of King Edward. The particulars 
of this manor are circumstantially given in the record. At 
present the principal manors are Sompting-Peverell alias Welda, 
Sompting- Abbots, and LeQhepool. The manor of Sompting- 
Peverell extends into the parishes of West Grinstead, Horsham, 
and Eusper, in the weald, whence the alias Welda. It con- 
tinued in the family of Peverell for several generations until 
about the end of the 14th century, when it was carried by co- 
heiresses to the families of West and Brocas. Prom the Wests, 
Lords De la Warr, it passed by subsequent purchases to the 
families of Pelham, Langworth, Morley, and Peachey. Somp- 
ting- Abbots belonged in early times to the Abbey of Fecamp, in 
Normandy, whose monks held a capital messuage and revenues ; 
hence the name Sompting- Abbots. The house has been rebuilt 
within the last few years in the medieval style, and is now one 
of the most elegant mansions of the district. On the dissolution 
of the alien priories it was conferred on the Abbey of Sion in 
Middlesex, and on the surrender of that religious house it was 
valued at £17 6s. 9d. Soon after this surrender it was granted 
to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk ; but on his attainder in 1547 it 
reverted to the Crown. It afterwards returned to the Howard 
family. Thomas, Earl of Arundel, sold it, in 1641, to Sir Edmund 
Pye, and afterwards, by successive alienations, it passed to the 
family of Alderton, and then to that of Crofts, the present 
possessors. The manors of Sompting-Peverell and Sompting- 
Abbots are much mixed up together. 

Lechepool gave name to a family in the 14th century. The 
lands were acquired by Richard, Earl of Arundel, who conferred 
them on his alms-house at Arundel. At the Dissolution the 
estate was granted to Sir Eichard Lee, and we afterwards find 
it in the hands of the families of Cooper, Moore, and Stanyoake. 
It is now the property of the family of Crofts, and passes with 
Sompting-Abbots. 

Cokeham is a hamlet in this parish (See that article). 

The impropriation of Sompting was granted between the years 
1146 and 1173 to the brethren of the Temple of Solomon. On 
the suppression of the Knights Templars, in 1306, Sir Andrew 
Peverell resumed it, and conferred it on the Knights of St. John 
of Jerusalem, who held it until the Dissolution. At an earlier 
period the ecclesiastical property was known as " The Temple," 
and gave the name of " At Temple " to its tenants. 

The church of this parish is decidedly the most interesting 
village church in the diocese. It has many peculiar features. 



SOMl^ING. 



171 



which have been so repeatedly figured and described that no de- 
tailed account is necessary here; suffice it to say that it was built 
about the year 1150. The nave, chancel, and transepts remain, 
though some parts of the whole building as constructed in the 
pre-Norman times are in ruins. There are several rude sculp- 
tures of very early date in the chancel ; but perhaps the most 
curious reUc in the building is an arched tomb, of which I gave 
an account, originally in the " Herald and Genealogist,'' and 
more recently in the " Sussex Archaeological Collections." The 
particulars are so curious that I venture on some self-quota- 
tion : — 

" My first visit to this church took place under the guidance of Dr. 
Davey, of Worthing, whose researches into the monastic history of the 
county of Suffolk are well known. After inspecting the tower and other 
remarkable features, I observed in the north wall of the chancel a monu- 
ment in the style of the so-called " Easter Sepulchre," or " Founders' 
Tomb," but apparently not earlier in date than the former part of the 
16th century. There was no inscription to guide me to the knowledge 
of the person interred beneath, and on interrogating my friend and 
cicerone upon this point, 1 received the curt and unsatisfactory reply, 
* Nobody knows V This I afterwards found to be the case, for the his- 
tories of Cartwright and Horsfield and the Handbook of Murray, all 
yielded a response equally unsatisfactory. * Well,* said I, ' there are 
some shields upon the tomb ; let us see whether Heraldry will not help 
us to an identification.* Accordingly I took out my note-book and made 
some memoranda, which I subjoin .... The workmanship of the 
tomb is very poor, the stone bad, and the heraldric sculpture evidently the 
work of an unskilled artisan, probably the village mason ; added to which 
it has until recently been coated with profuse layers of whitewash, in the 
removal of which the work may have suffered accidental mutilation. The 
armorial coats appear to be as follows : — 

" Under the canopy an Angel supporting a shield impaled .... the 
dexter coat three pairs of keys in saltire, on a chief three dolphins ; the 
sinister two bars, in chief a lion passant. On the face of the tomb 3 
shields, 1, quarterly : 1 and 4, 3 bucks trippant; 2 and 3, 2 bars and a 
lion- passant as above ; 2, quarterly : 1 and 4, a covered cop with two objects 
not very intelligible ; 2 and 3, a leopard's head ; 3, very much defaced, 
though three dolphins may be made out at the upper part of the shield. 
The arms are, therefore, probably identical with those first above described. 

'^ The coat with the bars and the lion passant, a Sussex antiquary had 
little difficulty in assigning to the well-known family of Tregoz, persons 
of leading importance not far from Sompting. 

" But alas 1 what of the cross-keys and dolphins, the bucks trippant, 
the covered caps and leopards* heads ? Clearly they did not belong to 
Sussex heraldry, and I was on the point of giving them up, when a vague 
recollection of a paper, written by Mr. J. G. Nichols, in voL xxx. of the 
ArckcBologia, which I thought might assist my inquiry, occurred to me. 
On turning to page 506 of that volume I found the first coat to be that 



172 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

of the Fishmongers' Company, as anciently borne. The same paper also 
enabled me to identify the shield with the leopards' heads and covered cups 
as that of the Goldsmiths' Company ; and from another source I discovered 
that the 3 bucks trippant (with which Tregoz is quartered) were the 
arms of the Leathersellers' Company. Thus I was able to identify the 
whole of the bearings." 

Not to enter further into the arguments which I have adduced, 
there is no doubt that this tomb covers the remains of Richard 
Burrfe or Burry, whose will was made 19th Henry VIII., and 
still exists at Chichester. His descendants are yet residing in 
this parish. The will is very curious, and contains among other 
bequests the great tithes and glebe of Sowntyng, called the 
Temple, " that I hold of the house of Saynt Jonys.'^ He also 
directs an obit for his soul and his wife's, eleven years in the church 
of Sowntyng. He makes bequests to the friars of Chichester, 
Arundel, and Beeding. That he was a man of considerable 
position is shown by the fact that he kept a chaplain, Sir Robert 
Bechton, who was to sing for his soul. 

[S. A. C. Templars at, ix, 257. Serf given to, ih, Cokeham chapel, ix, 
259. xii, 109. Cokeham hospital of St. Anthony, xi, 114. xii, 109. 
Lands, &c., belonging to Hardham Priory, xiii, 46. Peverells of, xv, 96. 
Bell of. xvi, 224. Sompting church, xix, 180. Tomb of Richard Burr^, 
ib. Temple farm in, xix, 184. House of St. John's, ib. East Ham in, ib. 
Prior of Hardham land, ib,"] 



SOUTHEASE. 



Domesday, Suesse ; a parish on the Ouse, in the Hundred of Holmstrow, 
Rape of Lewes ; distant four miles south from Lewes, its Post-town 
and Railway station. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 105. 
in 1861, 84. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £210; Patron and In- 
cumbent, Rev. Samuel Webb Thomas, M.A., of Worcester College, 
Oxford. Date of earUest Parish Register, 1536. Acreage, 900. 

The Celtic Ese or Ise seems to have some relation to the 
position of this place near the estuary of the Ouse. JVorthesise is 
in the adjoining parish of Eodmell. In the year 966 King Edgar 
gave Southe :"^ and other lands in the neighbourhood to the 
monastery of St. Peter at Winchester, and in Domesday the 
abbots still continued to hold it, as also in 52nd Henry III., and 
probably down to the period of the dissolution. Temp. Eliza- 
beth it was in the Cro»v^n. In the 1; vh. century the Springetts, 
and in the 18th, the Dickensons were seised of it. 

The church is small and ancient, with Norman features, and 
consists of a nave, chancel, and a round tower of flint, crowned 
with a low shingled spire. There are traces of additions on both 



SOUTHWATER. SOUTHERHAM. SOUTHWICK. 173 

sides of the chancel. The font is rude and ancient. The only- 
other round-towered churches in Sussex are those of Pidding- 
hoe and St. Michael, Lewes. There are quaint inscriptions for 
two rectors, Edmund Eose, 1594, and John Willard, 16 . . 

[S. A. C. Manorial customs, iii, 249. " Drinker acre" custom, iv, 305. 
Ancient interments, v, 204. Bells, xyi, 224. Cade's insurrection, xyiii, 24.] 



SOUTHOVER. (See Lewes, of which it is a suburb.) 
SOUTH MAILING. (The same.) 



SOUTHWATER. 



A small hamlet and railway station in the parish of Hor- 
sham, about three miles from the town, on the Horsham and 
Shoreham branch of the Brighton Railway. The ecclesiastical 
district includes a small part of Shipley parish. The church (the 
Holy Innocents), built about 1850, though small, is a handsome 
edifice, in the Flamboyant style, and much ornamented. There 
is a memorial window to Sir Henry Fletcher, Bart., the donor of 
the site and a contributor to the erection. The Benefice, in the 
gift of the Vicar of Horsham, is held by the Rev. Alexander Henry 
Bridges, M.A., whose stipend is valued at £45. 



SOUTHERHAM. 



Formerly a chapelry of South Mailing. The chapel, which 
had long been occupied as a cottage, was destroyed upwards of 
30 years since. Li the north wall a skeleton was found imbedded 
— ^probably that of the founder. The chapel stood on the right 
side of the turnpike road, about three-quarters of a mUe south 
of Cliffe church ; and on the opposite side of the road there is an 
old building of no architectural pretensions, which bears the 
name of " the schoolmaster's house ;" but nothing is known of 
its history. 

SOUTHWICK. 

A parish in the Hundred of Fishersgate ; Rape of Bramber ; distant 1^ 
mile east from Shoreham, its Post-town. It has a Railway station 
on the South Coast line. Union, Steyning. Population in 1811, 321 ; 
in 1861, 1,358. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £207; Patron, The 
Lord Chancellor; Incumbent, Rev. F. Barney Parkes, of Christ 
Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1654. 

This small parish, the southern wic or village (though 



174 HISTORY OF SUSSEX, 

there is no correlative Horthwick), is supposed to be included in 
the Domesday survey with Kingston-Buci, which it adjoins on 
the east. Unlike most of our coast parishes, trees thrive well 
here, and there is the pleasing adjunct of a village green. 
Lands in Southwick which belonged to Eeigate Priory, and 
were granted at the Dissolution to William, Lord Howard, were 
purchased, 20th Elizabeth, by Henry Smith, Esq., and have ever 
since belonged to the well-known " Dog Smith's Charity.^' The 
family of Hall have possessed an estate here for several genera- 
tions. Remains, conjectured to be those of a Roman villa, have 
been found. A. ship-canal passiag by Southwick to Aldrmgton 
connects Kingston Harbour with the traffic of Brighton. 
■ The church, popularly called St. Michael's, is given by Mr. 
Gibbon to St. Margaret. It has an interesting Norman tower, 
with shingled spire ; but the body of the edifice has been re- 
built in a style difficult to characterize. The memorials include 
the names of Gray, Norton, Bridger, Hall, &c. The church was 
given in the 13th century by Simon le Counte to the Knights 
Templars at Saddlescombe, inNewtimber. John Pell, r.R.S., 
the skilful, but unfortunate mathematician, son of John Pell, 
rector of Southwick, was bom here in 1610. ("Worthies of 
Sussex, p. 177.) 

EiSHERSGATE, which givcs name to the Hundred, is a hamlet 
in this parish, and has a recently-erected district church. 

[S. A. C. Tithes to Sele Priory, x, 115. Church, ix, 235. xii, 109. 
xviii, 106. Benefactions of Goodmerich and Michelborne, xiii, 47. Bell, 
xvi, 224. Lands to Shoreham chantry, xvi, 235. Roman remains, xvi, 255. 
Thomas, xix, 101. Midhurst Chantry had lands here, xx, 24. Baggele, 
ibid,'] 

STANMER. 

Vulgo, Stammer ; a parish in the Hundred of Ringmer, Rape of Pevensey, 
(though locally in that of Lewes) ; distant four miles north-west of 
Brighton ; Post-town, Lewes. It has a Railway station close by at 
Falmer. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 105 ; in 1861, 147. 
Benefice, a Rectory, united with Falmer, valued at £140 ; Patrons, 
alternately the Earl of Chichester and the Archbishop of Canter- 
bury ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles G. T. Barlow, of Balliol College, 
Oxford. Date ofearliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 1,346. Chief 
Landowner, the Earl of Chichester, of Stanmer Park, Lord Lieutenant 
of Sussex. 

As one of the Peculiars of Canterbury, this parish belonged 
to Archbishop Lanfranc, and was held of him by the Canons of 
Mailing. In subsequent times it has been the property of the 
Michelbomes, Gotts, and Pelhams. Stanmer Place was built on 
an older site, about the year 1724, by Thomas Pelham, Esq., 



STAPLECROSS. STAPLEFIELD. STEDHAM. 175 

ancestor of the present noble owner. The surrounding park is 
beautifully undulated, and well planted, and has its principal 
entrance nearly midway on the road from Lewes to Brighton. 
The village lies within the boundaries of the park. The church, 
which has been rebuilt by the present Earl of Chichester, is 
plain and neat, and contains memorials for the families of Scrase, 
Goffe, Michelbome, and Martin. Stephen Goffe, incumbent here 
at the beginning of the 17th century, was father of Stephen, 
John, and William Goffe, all remarkable persons during the 
Commonwealth — ^the last being Colonel Goffe, the celebrated 
republican and puritan, whose constancy marks him a true hero 
to the cause of civil and religious liberty. In this parish, and in 
many of the adjoining ones in the South Down district, the 
geological observer will notice many of those large boulders of 
stone which do not belong to any local stratum, but which are 
supposed to have been brought hither at some remote era, from 
the polar regions, in icebergs. 

[S. A. C. Cromweirs Bible, ii, 78. Pelham buckle, iii, 211. Goffe 
family, in Civil War, v, 83. Pelhams, x, 211. Michelbomes, xiii, 257. 
xvi, 30. Bell, xvi, 224.] 



STAPLECROSS. 
A hamlet of Ewhurst, giving name to a Hundred. 



STAPLEFIELD. 



A scattered hamlet of Cuckfield, 2^ miles north-west from 
that town, and 5^ south of Crawley, its Post-town. A district 
church (St. Mark) was erected in 1847. The living is a Perpetual 
Curacy ; Patron, the Vicar of Cuckfield ; Incumbent, Eev. J. H. 
Appleton, M.A. 

STEDHAM. 

Domesday, Stedeham ; a long narrow parish on the Western Rother, in the 
Hundred of Easeboume ; Bape of Chichester ; distant two miles west 
from Midhurst, its Post-town and nearest Railway station. Union, 
Midhurst. Population m 1811, 353; in 1861, 530. Benefice, a 
Rectory, united with Heyshott, and in the same patronage. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1538. Acreage, 2,249. Seats y Stedham, 
Sir Charles Taylor, Bart ; Stedham Hall, John Stoveld, Esq. ; Ash, 
J. B. Smart, Esq. ; Tentworth, Miss Wyndham. 

In Saxon times the manor was held by Eddiva of Earl 
Godwin ; at the Conquest William gave it to Earl Eoger de 



176 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Montgomeri. In later times William de Perci held it of Williant 
de Albini. On its seizure by the Crown, Henry VIII. granted it 
to William, Earl of Southampton. Subsequently it vested in 
Bulstrode Peachey Knight, Esq., and it was sold by Lord Selsey 
within the present century to Sir Charles William Taylor, Bart., 
whose son, Sir Charles Taylor, is now lord, and resides in the 
parish. 

The village is seated in a pleasant rising ground above the 
Eother. Tte church of St. James, which represents one men- 
tioned in Domesday, was partly taken down, rebuilt, and " re- 
stored'^ in 1850. It consisted of chancel, nave, and central tower, 
which bears the date of 1670. Duiing the progress of pulling 
down, some mural paintings of interest were discovered. The 
subjects were St. George and the Dragon, St. Ursula, St. Chris- 
topher, and the Final Judgment. These have been fally described 
in the " Sussex Collections," vol. iv. Mr. Butler, the architect, 
from the rude vestigia in the nave, considers the building to be 
identical with the Domesday church. Many stones, with crosses 
in relief, and fouB stone coffins, were found in the walls, having 
evidently been placed there as material in some comparatively 
recent repair of the building. The chancel has Early English 
features, and the font is ancient. 

[S. A. C. Church, mural paintings, iv, 1. Architecture, &c., iv, 19 
( Vemon-Harcourt and Butler), Three watermills in Domesday, v, 272. 
Church, xii, 78. Bells, xvi, 225. River Rother, xvi, 259. Stedham manor, 
&c., xviii, 95. Midhurst brotherhood, xx, 25. Knights- Hospitallers' lands, 
XX, 28. Legate's lands in, and Sir William Goring, xx, 28.] 



STEYNING. 



Domesday, Staninges; a parish and market-town in the Hundred and 
Union to which it gives name ; Rape of Bramber ; distant about five 
miles north from Shoreham; Post-town, Hurst- Pierpoint ; it has a 
Railway station on the Shoreham and Horsham branch of the South 
Coast railway. Population in 1811, 1,210; in 1861, 1,620. Bene- 
fice, a Vicarage, valued at £400 ; Patron, the Duke of Norfolk ; In- 
cumbent, Rev. Thomas Medland, B.D., of Corpus Christi College, 
Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1565. Acreage, 3,383. 

Steyning, like many other parishes in Sussex, finds an able 
exponent in its own incumbent, the Rev. Thomas Medland, whose 
paper appears in Vol. v. of the " Sussex Collections/^ The parish 
lies on the north side of the South Downs, near the point where 
the hills slope on both sides to the Adur. It is partly on the 
Downs, and extends northward to the Weald clay, the inter- 
mediate space being sand and fertile loam. The chief part of 



STEYNING. 177 

the poptdation is found in the picturesque little iown, situated 
on the malm rock. The name appears to be derived, not from 
the Anglo-Saxon stone^ but from one of the Saxon mearcSy and 
meaning the abode of the children of one Staen, the patriarch of 
a noble family, who probably lived towards the end of the fifth 
century. (See Kemble.) It was then a place of little impori;ance, 
and it was reserved for St. Cuthman, the titular patron of the 
parish, whose life by the BoUandists I have abstracted from the 
Acta Sanctorum in "Woriihies of Sussex," p. 23, to raise it 
to some renown. It is pretty certain that that personage 
erected the first church (a wooden one), doubtless on the site of 
the present noble edifice. Both the saint himself and Ethel- 
wulf, father of Alfred the Great, are believed to have been buried 
here. Other claims have been set up as to the burial-place of 
this unfortunate abdicated King of Wessex, but Asser Mene- 
vensis, Alfred's preceptor and secretary, says distinctly " Athel- 
wolphus rex sepultus Steninge.*' King Alfred bequeathed his 
estates here, with others in Surrey, to his nephew Ethelwold, 
but they afterwards reverted to the Crown, and Edward the Con- 
fessor granted them, subject to a life interest of Bishop -^Ifwine, 
to the Abbey of Fecamp, in Normandy, but afterwards revoked 
the grant, at the instance of Earl Godwin, whose son Harold 
held Steyning until his fall at Hastings. After the Conquest, 
William restored it to the monks of Fecamp, who thereupon 
sent over six of their number to form a priory, or cell, at Stey- 
ning. These Benedictines founded their house on the site after- 
wards occupied by the parsonage-house. From Domesday we 
learn that the lands belonged principally to the foreign abbey, 
though William de Braose, Lord of Bramber, had a portion of 
them. He, not content with his share, made encroachments on 
the possessions of the brethren, which resulted in an appeal to 
Henry I., who confirmed all the rights which Fecamp claimed. 

Steyning was in those days a thriving and weU-frequented 
place. According to Domesday there were no less than 223 vil- 
leins and 106 bordars, while in the town itself there were 123 
dwellings. The Abbot of Fecamp proceeded to erect a church 
suitable to this increased population. Two churches are men- 
tioned in the record, one being on the foundation of the original 
establishment of St. Cuthman, and the other probably a succur^ 
8alej or chapel of ease. The principal part of Steyning was 
known as the parish of Cuthman, while the other church or 
chapel appears to have been situated on the south side of High 
Street. It was dedicated to St. Mary, and near it was a well, 
sacred to the same saint, but now covered over. 

The church (St. Andrew), as just remarked, doubtless occupies 
the site of the humble wooden edifice of Cuthman. When the 

VOL. II. N 



178 HISTORY OP SUBSEX. 

brethren of Fecamp built their church they seem to have taken 
the church of Graville, in Normandy, dependent on their abbey, 
as their model. The greater part of what now remains of this 
noble church is apparently of the time of Henry I., though the 
capitals of some of the piUars and a rude bas relief are supposed 
to be of the time of the Confessor. The original plan was never 
completed. The building, as it stands, consists of a west tower, 
nave, north and south aisles, and a chancel. The nave and aisles 
are somewhat narrow. The former is very lofty, with rotind- 
headed clerestory windows. Between the nave and chancel are 
four very high substantial arches, apparently intended to sup- 
port a central tower. The present tower was added at a later 
period, when all idea of extending the church westward had 
been abandoned. Mr. Medland thinks that a south transept 
was built, but this has long disappeared. The more modem 
parts of the structure, particularly the tower and porch, have 
worked stones from a more ancient and ornamental structure. 
The nave, with its round pillars, carved capitals, and circular 
arches with zigzag mouldings, is particularly grand and impos- 
ing. The church anciently possessed a chanfiy of the Virgin, 
and chapels or altars for St. Peter, St. Christopher, and the Sa- 
lutation. The chancel was reconstructed some years since, not 
in accordance with the rest of the building There are no monu- 
ments of greater antiquity than one dated 1508, for Mighill Fam- 
field (or Famfold) and Joane his wife ; but there are mural 
tablets and slabs for the names of Michell, Prowd, Gratwicke, Co- 
ventry, White, Stalman, Ingram, Leeves, Mille, Smith, Lucke, 
Hooper, and many others. The beUs are six in number. In 
the thirteenth century Ralph de Neville, Bishop of Chichester, 
claimed obedience from the Canons of Steyning. The Abbot of 
Fecamp resisted, and it was decided that Steyning church should 
be free of all episcopal jurisdiction. 

In 1278 the town was of sufficient political importance to 
return two members to Parliament, and, though much dimi- 
nished in population, it continued to do so down to the period of 
the Reform Act in 1832. Dp to the early part of the fourteenth 
century it was of some commercial consequence. In Saxon and 
Norman times, when the estuary of the Adur flowed up thus 
far from Shoreham, it had a port known as the Harbour of 
Steyning, or St. Cuthman's Port, where the small vessels of the 
period could ride in safety. Like many other places on the 
South coast, however, the river having narrowed, Steyning lost 
its maritime importance, as shipmen could no longer reach it. 
It was further uafortunate when, at the suppression of its priory 
as a cell of Fecamp, temp. Henry V., the fostering care of the 
foreign abbey was withdrawn, and a transfer was made to Syon 



STEYNING. 179 

Abbey, in Middlesex, the brethren of which cared less for it. 
Thus Steyning gradually dwindled down to the proportions of a 
mere village, and only rose to what it now is by the independent 
exertions of its inhabitants. 

The manor of Charlton Court, which had formed the principal 
part of the monastic possessions, was annexed to the Honour of 
Petworth, and after the Dissolution was sold, with the advowson 
of Steyning, to William Pellatt, Esq., from whose family it has 
passed by transfer to those of Lewknor, Shirley, Tufljon, Evers- 
field, and Goring. Wickham, another ancient manor, has been 
associated, since 1307, with the names of Graundyn, de Lyche- 
pole, de Ifield, de Wickham, de Cobham, Percy of Petworth, 
Hystede, Famfold, and Trevor. Wappingthome is a Domesday 
manor. " William Fitzmanne holds Wopingthome. Carle held 
it of King Edward." It was then assessed at six hides, now at 
two only. There were seven villeins and 15 bondmen. In the 
reign of the Confessor it was worth 100s., and afterwards £4. 
In 1268 Haymen Boynet paid to William de Braose 18 silver 
marks for Wowend and Wappingthome, to exonerate him from 
the latter's claim of murage, a tax due to the Lord of Bramber 
for the reparation of the walls of his castle. In his family it 
remained till 1361. It afterwards became the property of the 
Dukes of Norfolk. In 1607 John Leedes, Esq. left it to his son 
and heir. Sir Thomas Leedes, K.B., who held it of the Castle of 
Bramber by knight's service. Edward Goring, of the Burton 
family, held it tem'p. Charles I., and resided here. Of the house, 
now a farm-house, there are considerable remains. It is a brick 
building, with large windows divided by stone mullions. Over 
the portico is a shield of 12 quarterings, entirely defaced. It 
still belongs to the Goring family. (Carfcwright, 1830.) Gat- 
wick, near the church, was another ancient residence, which 
gave name to a family. The vicarage-house is a good specimen 
of a parochial manse, with some curious carved wainscot, having 
the arms of St. Richard of Chichester, Pitz-James, Bishop of 
London, and the arms and cognizances of Henry VIII. and 
Queen Catherine. The gardens are well kept, and a clear stream 
of water runs through them. Among the rockwork have been 
placed two ancient stones with crosses, brought from the found- 
ation of the western extension of the church, and evidently of 
Saxon date. 

There was an ancient guild or fraternity in Steyning. The old 
" Brotherhood hall" formed part of the endowment of the 
Grammar School, founded in 1614 by William Holland, alder- 
man of Chichester, and the school is still carried on under the 
gables of that ancient hall, standing on the right hand of the 
street leading down to the church. 

N 2 



180 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

In Saxon times Steyning haxi a royal mint, and among the 
pennies brought to light at the now celebrated ^^Chaneton find/' 
were 11 coined here. They are of the reigns of Edward the Con- 
fessor and Harold ; but an earlier coinage doubtless existed. Of 
the various types, Mr. J. C. Lucas, F.S.A., has given an account in 
the " Sussex Collections,'^ Vol. xx. Eoman antiquities have been 
found here. In 1 826 a barrow on the Down overlooking the 
town was removed for the sake of the flints. On its summit, 
about a foot from the surface, were found three entire skeletons, 
and in the surrounding fosse upwards of 40 more. An urn, with 
burnt bones and 50 coins, chiefly of the Lower Empire, were 
also discovered. 

[S. A. C. Town and church {Medland), v, 111. xvi, 236. St. Cuth- 
man, v, 112. xx, 214. Fourwatermills in Domesday, v, 272. Church books 
extracts, viii, 132. Royal mint, ix, 369. xix, 189. xx, 214. (Lucas). Tithes 
to Seeding Priory, x, 115. F6camp Abbey, x, 123. xx, 214. Bennets of, 
xi, 61. Bonet of Wappingthorne, xii, 30. Wappingthorne and Wickham, 
xiii, 48. xvi, 35. Eversfieldsof Charlton Court, xiv, 123. Pell atts of ditto, 
xiv, 150. xvi, 75. Palmer at Agincourt, xv, 135. Leeds of Wapping- 
thorne, xvi, 35. Cooke of, and Parson of, xvi, 49. George Fox, Quaker, 
at, xvi, 72. Bells, xvi, 225. Cuthman's Port, xvi, 233. Churches, xvi, 
236. Ethelwulf, father of King Alfred, xvi, 237, xx, 214. Jarvis of, xvi, 
239. Grammar School, xvi, 241. Adur Kiver, and King's Barns, xvi, 253. 
Cade's insurrection, xviii, 24. Smith of, xix, 95. Goring of Danny, lands, 
xix, 100. Stalman of, xix, 108.] 



NORTH STOKE. 



Domesday, Stoches ; a parish in the Hundred of Poling ; Rape of Arun- 
del ; distant 2^ miles from Arundel Railway station. Population, in 
1811,62; in 1861, 87. Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £57. 
Patron, Lord Leconfield ; Incumbent, Rev. Edward B. Foreman, 
M.A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1678. Area, 860 acres. 

This small parish, which is separated from South Stoke by 
the river Arnn, is of some archaeological importance. Its ai*ea 
has been so variously stated that it is somewhat difficult to know 
its real extent. Dallaway states it at 930 acres ; a late statisti- 
cal publication says 160 ; but the Population Tables of 1862 say 
860, which I presume is correct. The manor descended with the 
castle and barony of Arundel till about 1600, when on the at- 
tainder of Philip, Earl of Arundel, it was some time afterwards 
granted to Thomas, Lord Howard de Walden. In 1611 it be- 
longed to Richard, Earl of Dorset, who sold it to John Stans- 
field, Esq., the founder of South Mailing church in East Sussex. 
From him it descended to his grandson, John Evelyn, Esq., the 



SOUTH STOKE. 181 

author of " Sylva " and "Memoirs." At later periods it passed 
through the families of Mitchell and Joliffe to the late Earl of 
Egremont. 

To the east of the village is Camp-field, once a strong earth- 
work, upon a steep acclivity, much worn by ploughing. Many 
ancient coins and other relics have been found here. 

The church is cruciform, with a low tower and a spire. There 
are three sedilia in the chancel. The building, which was de- 
pendent on Tortington Priory from 1337 until the Eeformation, 
is large in proportion to the parish. The dedication is un- 
known. 

In 1834 an ancient British canoe or boat was discovered about 
150 yards from the river Aran. It was formed from a single 
oak tree hollowed out, and was more than 34 feet long. The late 
Earl of Egremont presented it to the British Museum. Singu- 
larly enou'gh another similar boat of smaller dimensions was 
found near the same spot, at Burpham in a creek of the same river, 
and is now in the museum at Lewes Castle, together with its 
wooden anchor — ^perhaps one of the greatest archaeological 
curiosities in the county. It was presented to the Society by 
Thos. Spencer, Esq., of Wamingcamp. 

[S. A. C. Ancient British boat or canoe, xii, 261. Church bell, xvi, 
225. Eiver Arun, xvi, 258. Manor of, xviii, 78. Rymans of, xviii, 78. 
Pellet of, xix, 201.] 



SOUTH STOKE. 



Domesday, Stoches ; a parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Eape of Arun- 
del ; distant 2 J miles north-north-east from Arundel, its Railway- 
station and Post-town. Population in 1811, 99 ; in 1861, 99. Bene- 
fice a Rectory, valued at £223 ; Patron, the Duke of Norfolk ; Incum- 
bent, Rev. Richmond Powell, M.A.., of Trinity College, Cambridge. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 1,294. 

This parish (Anglo-Saxon Stoc^ a place) lies in the valley 
of the Aran, where that river is remarkably tortuous, and, as 
Dallaway observes, ^' refluis sibimet ssepe obvius undis." Nearly 
700 acres of the parish are within the new pale of Arundel Park. 
There are* two manors, which have remained distinct since the 
time of Domesday. In that record it is extremely difficult to 
define the limits of this parish, and that of the adjacent one 
of North Stoke, but a church is mentioned in both places. Of 
the two manors, one is described as having been held in Saxon 
times of King Edward by Brixi, and afterwards of Earl Roger 
(de Montgomeri) by Rainald. It was rated at eight hides. 
There were seven plough-lands cultivated by sixteen villeins and 



182 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

sixteen cottars, and two fisheries rendering lOd. The other 
manor was held by Ulnod, a free tenant, temp. Confessoris, and 
afterwards of Earl Eoger by Emald, probably the same person 
as Eainald above-mentioned. It was rated at four hides, and 
sustained ten villeins and four cottars. Its value was £4. 

Offham (Anglo-Saxon, the Mm or settlement of Offa*) was 
held of King Edward by a freeman named Alwin ; affcer the 
Conquest Azo held it of Earl Eoger. It contained four hides, 
and there were eight villeins and five cottars, a fishery of 2s., 
and a wood of three hogs. It was valued at different periods at 
£7, £6, and £4. According to the Testa de NeviU, John de 
NeviU held lands here, which were transferred to the Eitz- Alans, 
Earls of Arundel. 

In the compottts of Richard, Earl of Arundel, 1380, the manor 
was valued at the large sum of £20 6s., with a grange. It passed 
through the families of Dixs6, Sackville, and Kempe, and the 
late Earl of Newburgh by exchange to the Dukes of Norfolk, 
and is part of the settled estate of that great family, who also 
possess a farm in Offham, formerly the property of the Dean 
and Chapter of Chichester. William de Albini, Earl of Arundel, 
granted about 1,172 lands in Offham to Hugh Esturmie, and a 
copy of the charter is printed by Dallaway, p. 222. Upon the 
chalk downs in this parish there are many earthworks and 
trenches. " The most remarkable trench," says Dallaway, " is that 
which leads from the summit to the river at its base — the pro- 
bable remains of a road by which the camp was supplied with 
water. . . . The general opinion is that they are Danish. 



' Danorum veteres fossas— immania castra, 
Et circumducti servat vestigia valli.' 



i»» 



In 1796 a considerable number of Saxon pennies was ex- 
humed near Offham, and this Jind resembled that of 1866 at 
Washington as being mostly of the reigns of Edward the Con- 
fessor and Harold, and fresh from the mint. 

The church (St. Leonard) is small, but of high antiquity. It 
consists of a single pace or nave only, with a corbel table orna- 
mented with the heads of animals and birds at the east end. 

The " high-stream ^' of the river Arun was formerly important 
in regard to the fisheries and the swans, which latter 'were duly 
marked in old times, and there were rules and regulations for the 
fishermen, beadles, and under-bailiffs to superintend these 
matters, and the practice of " swan-hopping" was kept up. The 

♦We have in our Anglo-Saxon annals more than one historical Offa ; but the name, 
judging from the local nomenclature of England, must have been a very common 
one ; thus we have in Sussex two OfEhams, and one Offington, besides several minor 
places with the initial syllable Off, 



WEST STOKE. 183 

following regulations respecting swan-marks on the high-stream 
are worthy of record : — 

" Swan-marks, 1624. 

** Earl of Arundel butted on the right wing, and their heels both cut 
off ; Bishop of Chichester on the left wing, and three notches on the 
right side of the beak ; Sir W. Goring, in right of the Priory of Hard- 
ham ; Sir John Shelley, of Mitchelgrove ; Sir Edward Bisshopp, of 
Parham ; Sir Garrett Kempe, of South Stoke ; John Alford, Walter 
Barttelot, of Stopham ; William Palmer, son of Sir T. Palmer, of Ang- 
mering, deceased ; William Oneley, of Pulborough ; Anthony Sutton, 
John Caryl, and Thomas Mille, Esqrs., were severally entitled, in right of 
their lands, to keep swans upon the High Stream. The fine paid by the 
heir upon coming to the estate, to the water -baihff, was 6s., and 8d. for 
every renewal of the swan-mark." 

In the parish register is the entry in 1738 of the baptism of 
Anne, daughter of Daniel Gittins, L.L.B., rector of this parish. 
This lady became the wife of E. Bransby Francis, rector of 
Edgefield, co. Norfolk. Her father gave her a classical educa- 
tion, and she especially excelled in the knowledge of Hebrew, 
and published several works, including a poetical " Translation 
of the Song of Solomon,'* " A Poetical Epistle from Charlotte 
to Werter," " Miscellaneous Poems," &c. She died in 1800. 

[S. A. C. Two watermills in Domesday at Offham, v, 271. Church, 
xii, 102. Souton, buried at, ibid. Bonville, Lords of, xv, 59. D'Albini*s 
grant of OflFham, xv, 95. Bell, xvi, 225. Kiver Aran, xvi, 258. Aylwin 
of Oflfham, xvii, 254. Kempes, Lords of, xix, 119.] 



WEST LAVANT. (See East Lavant.) 



WEST STOKE. 



Domesday, Stoches ; a parish in the Hundred of Bosham ; Rape of Chi- 
chester. Post-town, Chichester. Union, West Hampnett. Population 
in 1811, 64; in 1861, 94. Benefice, a Eectory, valued at Jg 170 ; 
Patron, the Lord Chancellor ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles Buckner, 
B.D., of Wadham College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1564. Acreage, 880. /SoZ^ Za7ic?ow;ner, the Duke of Richmond. Seat, 
Stoke House, Lieut.-Colonel Frederick Cavendish. 

This agreeable little parish consists chiefly of down land, 
with a small secluded village. On the southern escarpment of 
the Downs are two large tumuli, " supposed/^ says Horsfield, 
" to have been erected over the bodies of the marauding sea-kings 
whom the men of Chichester encountered and slew in the year 
900/' In the va.lley below, called Kingley Bottom, the favourite 



184 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

resort of the inhabitants of Chichester for pleasure parties, is a 
very fine group of yew trees, and the whole scene is remarkably 
picturesque. Bow Hill stands to the north. 

In the time of the Confessor, the freeman Ulnod, held the 
manor of Stoches. It was assessed at four hides, and had a 
church. It has subsequently passed through the families of 
Bigod, Mowbray, Howard, and Compton. In 1764 it was added 
to the Goodwood estate. 

The church (St. Andrew) has on the north waU of the chancel 
a memorial to Adrian Stoughton, Esq., his wife, and two sons 
andfive daughters, with effigies in akneeling attitude — date 1635. 

[S. A. C. Roman earthworks, x, 171. Churcli, xii, 78. Bell, xvi, 225.] 



STOPHAM. 

Domesday, Stopeham ; a parish in the Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Rape 
of Arundel, distant four miles south-east from Petworth, its Post- 
town ; one mile south-west from the Railway station of Pulborough. 
Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 163 ; in 1861, 130. Bene- 
fice, a Rectory, valued at £150 ; Patron, George Barttelot, Esq. ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Felix Brown, M. A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1544. Acreage, 876. Seat, Stop- 
ham House, George Barttelot, Esq., J.P., and Lieut. -Colonel Walter 
Barttelot, M.P., J.P. 

This is, in several respects, one of the most interesting 
parishes in Sussex. Small in area, it is picturesque, and pos- 
sesses features which interest every archaeologist who visits the 
locality. It lies on the banks of the most pleasant of Sussex 
rivers, the Western Bother. 

In the reign of Edward the Confessor, five free ttoants were 
possessed of Stopeham. As part of the rape of Arundel, it 
belonged to Earl Eoger de Montgomeri. One Eobert held it of 
him, and sub-let it to Ealph (whoever they may have been). It 
was rated at five hides. There were four villeins and four cot- 
tagers, one serf, three fisheries, and a wood of 10 hogs. " The 
family of Barttelot are said to have come from Normandy with 
William the Conqueror, and to have fixed their residence at a 
place called La Ford in this parish. In the 14th century John 
Barttelot de la Ford, married the daughter and coheiress of 
William de Stopham, descended probably from the Saxon pro- 
prietor, and thus acquired the whole of the parish." (DaUaway).* 
From a MS. at Arundel Castle, it appears that '^ Estover Ferry, 
belonging to John Stopham, descended to Walter Barttelot de 
la Ford, over which ferry there is now a stone bridge thatought 

♦ See also " The Topographer," iv,346, and Shirley's '* Noble and Gentle Men." 



STOPHAM. 



185 



to be repaired by the three Western Rapes, which was built 2nd 
Edward 11., 1329." Stopham bridge is a structure of seven 
arches, the greatest number in any pontine erection in the 
county. Stopham House, a handsome and spacious residence, 
was built on an older site during the Tudor period, and rebuilt 
in 1787. 

The church (supposed to be dedicated to St. Mary) is small, 
and '^ built upon the Norman plan, with a pace or nave only, 
and a square tower at the west end. Upon the ancient door is 
a cross fleury, in iron. The windows are ornamented with 
stained glass, which is said to have been taken out of the old 
hall." These decorations consist of armorial bearings and imagi- 
nary portraits executed at the expense of Walter Barttelot, Esq., 
in 1638, by Eoelandt, a Dutch artist. There is this inscription 
in a window : — 

Ad formam HiEO renovata fenestra priorem, 1638. 

There are coloured drawings of these embellishments in the 
Burrell MSS., British Museum. But the most remarkable fea- 
ture in this little edifice are the memorials of the Barttelot 
family, including a most interesting series of brasses, &c., for 
many generations, and almost covering the whole of the pave- 
ment. The first is to JfoijanneiES ISartelOtt, treasurer of the house- 
hold to Thomas, Earl of Arundel, and his wife, Johanna, daughter 
ofc William de Stopeham, 1428. The next is to SJoJannejS 
ISattelOtt, " Consul prudens " to Thomas, John, and William, 
Earls of Arundel, and Joan his wife, daughter and heiress of 
John Lewknor, Esq. This tomb has the figure of a man in the 
armour of the period— date 1453. The third has two brass 
effigies, to the memory of llSiit. iSatt^lOtt^ Esq., marshall to the 
Earl of Arundel, 1489. The next in the series is to SJoSanncjJ 
iSattelott^ 1493. Then follows a long series of memorials to the 
same ancient family, down to much more recent times. One of 
these records William Bartelott, Esq., who died in 1601, aged 
97 years. Instead of the ancient formula, '^ Orate pro anima," 
we are informed that his " soul restethe with God." There are 
two bells, one of which is inscribed to St. Augustine. 

Thomas Newcombe, M.A., incumbent of Stopham, who died 
in 1766, in his 91st year, was descended in the female line from 
the poet Spenser. He wrote many poems in English and Latin, 
and was a friend of Dr. Young. His principal work on the 
"Last Judgment," in 12 books, after the manner ^of Milton, 
was printed in folio in 1723. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermill, y, 272. Stopham family, arms of, &c., 
vi, 87. xvi, 257. Ralph de Stopham, a Crusader, ix, 365. Church, xii, 
102. Female recluse, xii, 134. Barttelot family (the mostTancient com- 
moners in West Sussex), xv, 62, 127.-xvi, 35,50, 257. xviii, 80. Church 
bells, xvi, 225. River Arun, xvi, 257.] 



186 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

STORRINGTON. 

Domesday, Estorchetone ; a parish and market-town in the Hundred of 
West Easwrith ; Rape of Arundel ; distant four miles south-east from 
Pulborough station, and eight north-east from Arundel. Post-town, 
Hurst-Pierpoint. Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 792 ; in 
1861, 1,104. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £600; Patron, the 
Duke of Norfolk ; Incumbent, Rev. John Scott Whiting, B. A., of . 
Worcester College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1590. 
Acreage, 3,264. Chief LandownerSy the Duke of Norfolk, Lord 
Leconfield, and Frederick King, Esq. Seat^ Fryem House, Frederick 
King, Esq. 

St6r is the Anglo-Saxon for great, vast, and also a personal 
name, still retained aB a surname. Of the initial syllable, 
" Utrum mavisque accipe " for the derivation. The parish is of 
irregular shape, and the soil varies from the chalk of the South 
Downs, to sand and loam on a substratum of sand rock. The 
town- village consists of two streets intersecting at right angles. 
Domesday mentions Estorchetone as held by Robert, of the Earl, 
but previously by Durand. A church is mentioned, and there 
were six hides, six villeins, seven cottars, and two mills. Temp. 
King Edward its value was £4, and afterwards 40s. Another 
Storcheton, apparently a separate manor, was held of Earl Roger 
de Montgomeri, by Robert, and Alwin was the sub-tenant. 
Alwin was a freeman under the Confessor, and could go where- 
soever he pleased, and dispose of his land at pleasure, according 
to the ancient expression, " Potuit ire, cum terra, quo volebat.'^ 
This estate had one villein, five cottars, two serfs, and a mill. 
The value was 30s. The manor of Storrington is valued in the 
computus of Richard, Earl of Arundel, at 60 marks per annum. 
On his attainder, in 1388, it was granted to John Holland, Duke 
of Exeter. It was afterwards restored to the Earls of Arundel, 
and remained with them till Henry Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel, 
conjointly with his son-in-law, John, Lord Lumley, conveyed it 
to William Apsley, Esq., of Thakeham, whose second daughter, 
Jane, carried it by marriage to the family of Newton, of South- 
over, near Lewes. It was afterwards possessed by Wheler, 
Butler, and Batcock. In 1806 it was transferred to Charles, 
Duke of Norfolk, and still remains with that noble family. 
Hurston comprises the demesnes of the manor of Wiggonholt, 
originally part of the barony of Bramber. Its value, at the 
time of the Survey, was 10s., and it was held by Aluiet, of 
William de Braose. A mill is mentioned. Of its descent, 
nothing appears until 1634, when John Monk, Esq., who had 
married a daughter of Edward Covert of Slaugham, was pos- 
sessor. It has since belonged to EUiston, Eliot, Swayne, Ash- 



STORRINGTON. 187 

bumham, and Wyndham, Earl of Egremont. Fryem, or Frier's- 
land was the original endowment of a chantry in Thakeham 
church, founded by Stephen le Power, the patronage of which 
descended to the Apsleys. Subsequent proprietors have been 
Barttelot, Duppa, Banks, Moulding, and Postlethwaite. It was 
re-sold to Charlotte, Baroness Dowager King, and her son, 
the Hon. Geo. King, enlarged the house and resided in it. It is now 
the seat of Fredk. King, Esq. Chantry farm, part of the Apsley 
estate, passed to the Shelleys, of Lewes. Cootham, or Coudham, is 
a hamlet about a mile west of the town. It was manorial at the 
time of Domesday. In the reign of the Confessor, two freemen 
held it ; afterwards Eobert, of Earl Eoger, and Alberic of him. 
It was valued at £3, and there were four villeins, and five cottars. 
Eobert also held of the Earl two hides, which had one villein and a 
cottar; value, 20s. Upon the great partition of the earldom of 
Arundel, a knight^s fee was assigned to Eoger de Somen. It is now 
divided into many small freeholds. The market charter was 
granted by Thomas, Earl of Arundel, in 1399. The Bynes were 
of Storrington for many years. James Byne is mention ed s o 
early as 3rd Edward III., and Thomas Byne in 23rd Henry Vill. 

The church (St. Mary) has been much altered from its original 
form. On May 20th, 1731, the shingled steeple was struck by 
•Hghtning and fell upon the nave. In 1746 the tower fell, and 
the damagd was estimated at £1,625. The church, except the 
chancel, was rebuilt, and it has now a nave, north aisle, and 
west tower. On the floor of the chancel is a brass, in ecclesias- 
tical costume, for Henry Wilsha, B.D., chaplain of Henry, Earl 
of Arundel, 1591 — a rare instance of so recent a brass. There 
are two monuments by Westmacott, one for Sir H. HolKs Brad- 
ford, K.C.B., 1816, erected by his companions in arms, in recog- 
nition of his great military services at Copenhagen, Corunna, 
Flushing, Salamanca, Vittoria, and Waterloo, where he received 
a wound, which resulted, after 18 months, in his death. The 
second has a female figure in relief, bending over a pedestal, and 
commemorates Major Hugh Falconer, 1827. The rectory house, 
built soon after 1621, has been much improved by more recent 
incumbents, and is now one of the best in the county. 

Several antiquities have been found in the parish, including a 
Celtic urn, 21 inches high, and one of the finest specimens of its 
kind ; many Eoman coins, &c. 

[S. A. C. Britisliurn,i, 55. Domesday watermills,v, 272. Roman coins, 
viii, 277. ix,116. xi, 140. Church, xii, 102. xiv, 154. xix, 103. Cootham 
andBynes,xii, 111. Parish charity, xvi, 37. Bells, xvi, 225. Millstream to 
the Arun, xvi, 257. Alwin, xvii, 254. Patronage of benefice to Lord Lum- 
ley, xix, 103.] 



188 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

STOUGHTON. 

A parish in the Hundred of Westboume : Rape of Chichester ; distant 
seven miles north-west from Chichester. Post-town, Emsworth. Rail- 
way station, Emsworth, distant about five miles. Union, West- 
boume. Population in 1811, 489; in 1861, 633. Benefice, a Vicarage, 
valued at £270 ; Patron, the Bishop of London ; Incumbent, Rev. 
Francis H. Vivian, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1675. Acreage, 5,422. Seats, Stanstead 
House, Mrs Dixon ; Watergate House, A. H. Hall, Esq. 

This is a border parish adjoining Warblington, in Hamp- 
shire. The soil is chiefly chalk. The lofty range of the South 
Downs, called Bowhill, extends along the south-east boundary. 
Stoughton is not mentioned, eo nomine j in Domesday. In 1207, 
Roger Bigod, the last earl of Norfolk of that family, died seised. 
In 1557, it was purchased by Henry Fitz-Alan, and it became a 
favourite hunting resort of the Earls of Arundel. About 1480, 
Thomas, Lord Maltravers, rebuilt the manor-house. After- 
wards it belonged to Lord Lumley, and subsequently to the 
Lewknors and Peacheys, Lords Selsey. It now belongs to the 
Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt. The principal feature is Stan- 
stead Park, which, with its forest, contains 1,666 acres, about 
1,000 of which are in the parish, while other portions extend 
into Eacton and Warblington. The present house succeeds the 
earlier edifice, which was the seat of Lord Lumley, and in 
1644, during the siege of Arundel, Sir William Waller sent 
2,000 horse and foot, and two drakes (small guns) to besiege it. 
The particulars of this attack are not known. It was probably 
much shattered, as about 1687, the mansion was again rebuilt 
by the Earl of Scarborough. It has since been much altered. 
It contains some good wood carving by Grinling Gibbons, and 
a suit of arras tapestry, representing the Battle of Wynendaal, 
brought from Flanders by the first Lord Scarborough. The 
forest lies west of the house, and is divided by three wide 
avenues, of which the central one is two miles long. De Foe, 
in his *^Tour" (1724), speaks thus of the place: — ^'From 
Chichester the road lying still west passes in view of the Earl 
of Scarborough's fine seat at Stanstead — a house seeming to be 
a retreat, being surrounded with thick woodsy through which 
there are the most pleasant, agreeable vistas cut, that are to be 
seen anywhere in England — particulariy because through the 
west opening, in front of the house, they sit in the dining-room, 
and see the town and harbour of Portsmouth, and the ships at 
Spithead and St. Helens, which, during war, is a most glorious 
sight." At a later period Stanstead was the seat of George 
Montague Dunk, Earl of Halifax, who left it to his illegitimate 



STREET. 189 

daughter, Anna Maria, who married Richard Archdall, Esq. By 
his lordship's trustees, the estate, with its demesnes and exten- 
sive manors, was sold for £102,500, to Richard Barwell, Esq., 
after whose death it was sold to Lewis Way, Esq. Mr. Way, 
who resided here, took great interest in the conversion of the 
Jews to Christianity, and, in 1812, fitted up the north-west side 
of the old mansion as a chapel in the " Gothic " of the period, 
and had an ordained priest, a converted Jew, for religious minis- 
trations on the episcopal system. This was succeeded by a new 
church (Christ Church), built and endowed by the late Charles 
Dixon, Esq., and consecrated in 1855. The living is a Perpetual 
Curacy, value £210, in the gift of Mrs. Dixon, and held by the 
Rev. Nicholas Grattan Whitestone, B.A. Stanstead received 
royal visits from King John, Queen Elizabeth, and the 1st and 
2nd Georges. 

Walderton, or Waldington, and Northwood, are hamlets of 
this parish. 

The church (St. Mary) is in the Early English style, with 
nave, chancel, and aisles ; but contains nothing of great impor- 
tance. It had a chancel called St. Catherine's, and lights for 
the Holy Sepulchre and All Souls. There are three bells, one 
ancient, inscribed Ave gr acta plena. 

On the Downs there are several tumuli and earthworks, and 
tradition asserts that -3]delwalch, King of Sussex, and the exiled 
Csedwalla of Wessex, met here in battle, and further that the 
vanquished South-Saxon King lies buried in the southern bar- 
row with his arms and his chieftains around him. (Longcroffc.) 

"S. A. C. Lumley Lords, of Stanstead, v, 49, 65. xvi, 266, xix, 92, 101. 
Fitz- Alans of ditto, v, ^^, xvi, 266. Lewknor of, v, %%, Royal visits : King 
John, i, 136; Queen Elizabeth, v, 197. xvi, 266; George L and II., xvi. 
xix, 147, 8. Mathews of Stansted, xi, 69. xviii, 13. Church and nevr dis- 
trict church, xii, 78. Bells of these churches, xvi, 225, 232. River Ems or 
Racon at, xvi, 264, 266. xviii, 185. Earthworks and tumuli, xvi, 264. Wal- 
derton bridge, and Pitt the gunman, xvi, 264. Maltravers, xvi, 266. Stan- 
stead besieged, xvi, 266. The Rector to arm, xvii, 198. Flight of Charles 
II., xviii, 115. Scarl)orough, Earls of, xix, 147.] 



STREET or STREAT. 

Domesday, Estrat; a parish in the Hundred of the same name; Rape of 
Lewes ; distant 6^ miles from Lewes. Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint. 
Railway stations. Burgess Hill, and Hassock's Gate. Union, Chailey. 
Population in 1811, 133; in 1861, 190. Benefice, a Rectory, valned 
at £172; Patron, H. C. Lane, Esq.; Incumbent, Rev. William 



190 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Anthony Fitzhngh, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date of 
eariiest Parish Register, 1561. Acreage, 1,270. Chief Landowner^ H. 
C. Lane, Esq. 

Street is a name given by our Saxon ancestors to the old 
Boman roads (vi(B stratci) which traversed England, and it has 
been conjectured that such a road passed through this parish ; 
but this is uncertain. The parish, like most of those in the 
Weald of Sussex, is long and narrow, its length from north to 
south being between four and five miles, while its breadth does 
not exceed half a mile. It extends from the chalk of the South 
Downs to the Wealden clay, and has a soil which is mostly 
fertile. There are many coppices and several woods. Near the 
church are two fine specimens of the quercus ilex, which is a 
rather rare tree in these parts. 

The manor of Street, which includes the greater part of the 
parish, is mentioned in Domesday as Estrat, and part of the 
possessions of William de Warenne. Both before and after 
the Conquest it was valued at 100s. In 1192, it belonged to 
Geoffrey de Saye, in whose descendants it remained till 1383, 
when it passed by marriage to the family of Fynes, subsequently 
Lords Dacre. Temv. Elizabeth it belonged to the Goring 
family, and later it was possessed by the family of Dobell, from 
whom it passed by marriage to the Lanes, the present owners. 
Street Blace is a large handsome house, of the latter part of the 
reign of Elizabeth, and commands extensive views of the adja- 
cent picturesque country. The principal front facing the east 
is 86 feet long, and has two projecting wings. The room on 
the first floor in the south wing of the front is paneled in oak, 
and has remains of numerous Latin mottoes. Mr. Blaauw sup- 
poses it to have been the study of Walter Dobell, who died in 
1625. One of his descendants, who joined the Cavalier party 
during the Civil Wars, is said to have cgntrived a place of con- 
cealment in the house, the entrance to which was up the great 
hall chimney. There are several curious legends and traditions 
respecting this old mansion, which ceased to be the residence 
of the Dobells on their acquisition of Folkington Place, and 
early in the eighteenth century Street Place became a farm- 
house. 

Two "small churches*' are mentioned in Domesday, but 
where the second stood is unknown. Street church consists of 
chancel, nave, north porch, north chancel, and a recently added 
south transept. The building, though much patched in later 
times, has doors and other features of Norman date. A turret 
over the west end contains one bell. There are memorials to 
the families and names of DobeU, Vinal, Gott, Lane, &c. Be- 



SULLINGTON. 191 

fore the Reformation, an acre of land, called East-town, was 
held by this church for the support of a light. 

[S. A. C. Street Place, iv, 93 (Blaauw). viii, 269. xvi, 292. William 
Dobeirs accounts, iv, 98. East-town, xiii, 47. Black-brook, xv, 162. Bell, 
xvi, 225.] 



SULLINGTON. 

Domesday, Sillintone ; a parish in the Hundred of East Easwrith ; Rape 
of Bramber, distant five miles north-west from Steyning Railway sta- 
tion. Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint. Union, Thakeham. Population in 
1811,234; in 1861, 241. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £400; Patron- 
ess, Mrs. Palmer; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Palmer, M.A., of Trinity 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1555. Acre- 
age, 2,840. Seat^ Sandgate Lodge, George Carew Gibson, Esq. 

SuUington lies partly on the South*Downs, but the greater 
portion consists of arable land. Its length from north to south 
is 3j^ miles, and its breadth | of a mile. The soil varies from 
chalk to sandy loam. Like Seeding, it has a detached portion 
in the forest district near Horsham, called Beoadbridge Heath, 
about twelve miles to the north, with a population, in 1861, of 
86. From Domesday, Sillintone appears to have been among 
the smallest of manors, possessing only one villein with half a 
plough, and valued at 2s. ! TJlward held it of the Confessor, and 
Robert of Earl Roger de Montgomeri. Soon after the Conquest 
the family of Aguillon, or De Aquila, held it, and Richard de 
Aguillon's only daughter carried it by marriage to William de 
Covert, who had two knights' fees in Sullington and Broad- 
bridge. Several disputes respecting game in this manor are 
recorded. In 1275, Hugh, son of Otho, brought an action 
against Roger de Covert, for unlawfully detaining a falcon 
valued at £10", an immense price in those days ; and in 1288, 
WiUiam de Braose prosecuted him for killing two hares in his 
free-warren in Washington and Findon. Roger pleaded that 
he had always hunted there for hares and foxes, and cut sticks 
in the woods to carry hares on. The manor house of this ancient 
sporting squire was valued at 3s. 4d. per annum. He had a 
park, two watermills, one windmill, and the advowson of the 
church. His descendants continued in possession for several 
generations, till Baldwin de Covert,"^ in 1379, granted the re- 
version of the mknor, after his death, to Richard, Earl of Arundel, 
who gave it to his Hospital of the Holy Trinity at Arundel. 

♦ A very curious will of Margaret, wife of John de Covert, and mother of Bald- 
win, 136H, is in the possession of W. Smith Ellis Esq , of Hydecroft : it has been 
translated and printed in Cartwright's Eape of Bramber. 



v^ 



192 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

After tlie dissolution of that house, it passed through the fami- 
lies of Lee, Shelley of Warminghurst, Apsley, and Shelley of 
Lewes. The manor-house close to the church has some traces 
of antiquity. The name of the Park is still retained by a portion of 
the estate, and two watermiUs now exist, probably on the Domes- 
day sites. (Cartwright, p. 122.) On the north-west side of the 
parish are two farms called Wantleys, which took their name 
from the family of De Wantele, before 1296, one of whom, John 
de Wantele, has a brass in Amberley church, dated 1424. In 
later times the families of Michell, Bennet, Standen, and Shelley 
have owned these lands. At Sandgate, near the centre of the 
parish, Sir George Warren, K.B., erected a cottage orm. After 
his death, Henry Shelley, Esq., enlarged it and made it his re- 
sidence. It afterwards passed to the names of Anderson, Hill, 
and Bosanquet. In 1825, it was purchased by George John 
Gibson, Esq., who further enlarged it, and by subsequent altera- 
tions, made it one of the most agreeable residences in Sussex. 
It is now the property and seat of Geoige Carew C. Gibson, Esq., 
who in 1869 made additions which place it among the finest of 
Sussex mansions in Elizabethan architecture. The gentle family 
of Wase resided at Sullington in the sixteenth and seventeenth 
centuries. 

The rectory and vicarage were formerly distinct, but they 
were united by Bishop Praty in 1441, on account of the poverty 
of the vicarage, which had prevented any priest from accepting 
it, and the service of the church had been neglected for twenty- 
six years. The church (St. Mary) consists of a nave, chancel, 
north aisle, and low west tower, with a pyramidal cap. The 
nave has traces of Early English date, but the chancel is Deco- 
rated. In the north aisle, Richard, Earl of Arundel, in 1389, 
founded a chantry, and gave the chapel of St. Martin in Arundel 
Castle for its support. In 37th Henry VIH. the incumbent, 
Thomas Sackville, " a student at the gramer scole of thage of 
13," had the endowment towards his exhibition £3 16s. — a very 
young incumbent. Under the tower is a recumbent cross-legged 
effigy of a knight in armour, which was removed thither from 
the north aisle. Though much mutilated, it retains traces of 
excellent workmanship. It is of the time of Henry III., 
and is believed to represent William de Covert, Jord of the 
manor. In 1 825, a stone with a cross fleury was dug up in the 
church-yard, and placed within the building. There are other 
memorials for the names of Goring, Dixon, Williams, &c. There 
is one bell dated 1522, and dedicated to the Trinity. 

In 1809, some tumuli were opened on Sullington Warren. 
They contained imperfect parts of urns and charcoal of the 
Celtic period. One perfect urn was exhumed. In 1812, several 



SUTTON. 193 

Boman warlike implements (spear-lieads, swords, Ac.) were 
found north of Sandgate. 

[S. A. C. Domesday mills, v, 272. De Covert a Crusader, ix, 365 ; xv, 95. 
Titiies to Beeding Priory, x, 115. Church, xii, 108. Goring, xvi, 49, xix, 
94, Bell, xyi, 225. Mill-stream to the Arun, xyi, 257.] 



SUTTON. 

Domesday, Sudtone ('' the southern enclosure "); a parish in the Hundred 
of Rotherbridge ; Rape of Arundel ; distant five miles south from 
Petworth, its Post-town. Railway stations, Petworth and Amberley. 
Union, Sutton. Population in 1811, 342; in 1861, 364. Benefice, a 
Rectory, valued at £256 ; Patron, Lord Leconfield ; Incumbent, 
Rev. Henry Lockett, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1656. Acreage, 2,061. Chief Landowner j 
Lord Leconfield. 

The village is situated on a pleasant elevation at the foot of 
a high range of the South Downs. In Saxon times five Thanes 
(they must have been very small ones) held it as a free manor. 
At tiie Conquest Robert held it of Earl Eoger, and when the 
Earldom of Arundel came into possession of Queen Adeliza, it 
became as a part of her gift to her brother, Josceline of Louvaine, 
an appendage to the Honour of Petworth, and still so remains. 
By a roll of 26th Edward I., it appears that Peter de Sutton 
held ten librates here by the service of famishing a sparrow- 
hawk to the king, and Fulco Basset other lands by that of cer- 
tain furred gloves (quasdem cirothecas griseo-fdrratas). 

The church (St. John) has a nave and chancel, north tran- 
sept, south aisle, and porch, with Transition or Early English 
features, and a fine western tower. The chancel, which is De- 
corated, has been restored. In the east window are the arms of 
Percy, Louvaine, and De Albini. The learned Hebraist, Julius 
Bate, was rector of this church in 1742 ("Worthies of Sussex,*' 
p. 336). Boman pottery has been found in this parish, and even 
within the church. 

[8. A. C. Three watermills in Domesday, v, 272. Church, xii, 102. 
Eoman pottery, xv, 242. Bell, xvi, 225.] 



SUTTON, 

In East Sussex, is now parochially united with Seaford. The 
foundations of the church are traceable near Sutton Place. It 
is a prebend in Chichester Cathedral. See Seaford. 

VOL. II, o 



194 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

SWANBOROUGH. 

An ancient grange of Lewes Priory in the parish of Iford. 
BemaJns of a chapel still exist, with other ancient features. 



TANGMERE. 

Domesday, Tangmere ; a parish in the Hundred of Aldwick ; Rape of 
Chichester; distant three miles north-north-east from Chichester, 
its Post-town. Railway station, Drayton, distant ahout 1^ mile. 
Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 157 ; in 1861, 201. 
Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £280 ; Patron, the Duke of Richmond ; 
Incumbent, Rev. George Gaisford, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1539. Acreage, 774. Chief Land- 
owner, the Duke of Richmond. 

A level and fertile parish well adapted for cereals. Domes- 
day places it in the Hundred of Pagham. It was then a rather 
important manor, held of the Archbishop by clerks, with a bailiflF, 
15 villeins, and 15 bondmen, who were provided with a church. 
Temp. Henry VIII. it passed from the see of Canterbury, through 
Archbishop Cranmer, to the King. Ultimately it was attached 
to the Halnaker estate, and has thus passed to its present lord, 
the Duke of Richmond. 

The church (St. Andrew) is a Peculiar of the Archbishop. It 
consists of nave and chancel ; the former is early English, the 
latter less ancient. It has lately been thoroughly repaired and 
decorated with painted windows. In the church -yard stands a 
hollow yew, more than eight feet in diameter. 

[S. A. 0. Church xii, 78. Bells, xvi, 225. Worth in, Kempes, xix, 
119. Road through, xix, 159.] 



TARRING NEVILLE, or East Tarring. 

A parish in the Hundred of Danehill-Horsted ; Rape of Pevensey ; on 
the Ouse, 2^ miles north from Newhaven. Post-town, Lewes. Rail- 
way station, Newhaven. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 80 ; 
in 1861, 84. Benefice, a Rectory united with South Heighton, 
valued at £406 ; Patroness, Mrs. Cornelia Fothergill. Incumbent, 
Rev. M. Wyell Mayow, M. A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1569. 
Acreage, 938. Chief Landowner, the Rev. F. W. Gray. 

Of the history of this parish little is known, except that 
at an early period it belonged to the family of Neville, whence 
the suffix to distinguish it from Tarring Peverell, in the western 
division of the county. About the year 1640 it was ecclesias- 



TARRING, WEST. 195 

tically united to Heighten, whose parishioners, since the de- 
struction of their church, have worshipped here. The church 
(St. Mary) consists of a chancel, nave with south aisle, and a 
small west tower with pyramidal cap. The outside is entirely 
covered with plaster, but the interior has some Early English 
features, and a few interesting points. The one bell is ancient 
and inscribed to St. John. There are several memorials for the 
family of Geere, who were formerly incumbents of this benefice 
and of Heighton. On a part of the South Downs, called Tar- 
ring Lowe, are several fine and apparently unexplored tumulL 

[S. A. C. Laurence Waterhouse, priest, xiii, 56. Bell, xvi, 141, 225.] 



TARRING, WEST, or Tarring Peverel. 

A parish conterminous with the Hundred to which it gives name ;* Rape 
of Bramber ; distant one mile north-west from Worthing Railway 
station. Post-town Worthing. Union, East Preston. Population in 
1811, 568 ; in 1861, 606. Benefice, a Rectory, a Peculiar of Canter- 
bury, with Heene annexed, valued at £474 ; Patron, the Archbishop 
of Canterbury ; Incumbent, Rev. John Wood Warter, B.D., of 
Christ Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. 

This parish, on the South Coast, possesses much local and 
historical interest, and it is fortunate in its learned Rector, the 
son-in-law of the immortal Southey, whose " Seaboard and the 
Down,^' and " Parochial Fragmeots " contain a good deal of 
information relating to it, with more than has any immediate 
connection with this brief notice. The soil is a rich wheat- 
producing loam, with a substratum of marl, except towards the 
north, where it is more chalky. Ecclesiastically it has some pe- 
culiarities. Cartwright sums up the curious divisions which it 
possesses. The number of acres, he tells us, is 2,054, of which 
Tarring proper contains 624 ; Salvington, 390 ; Durrington and 
Coate, 641 ; Heene, 397, exclusive of 20 acres of Down adjoin- 
ing Findon, called " No-man's-land." The chapelries of Heene 
and Durrington maintain their own poor, and are for civil pur- 
poses in the Hundred of Brightford. Salvington is a hamlet. — 
The earliest account we have of the manor of Tarring is that 
King Athelstan gave it to the Church of Canterbury before the 
year 944, and the Domesday survey states that it had been imme- 
morially subject to that see. In the reign of the Confessor, it was 
rated at 18 hides, nearly corresponding with present dimensions. 
There were 27 villeins, 14 cottars, two churches, and a wood of 
6 hogs. It fluctuated in value between the Saxon and the 

* Except a few outlying lands in Horsham, Kusper, and Shipley. 

2 



196 HISTORY OF SUSSEX 

Norman rule from £14 4s. to £15. At the date of Domesday 
William de Braose held four hides of the manor, and had three 
in demesne. According to the Hundred Rolls, 1274, the tenants 
of the Archbishop in Tarring and Salvington performed suits to 
the hundred of Brightford. In 1227 we have a curious list of 
the necessaries of life as assessed under a distraint of the Pri- 
mate. A quarter of wheat was worth 18d. ; of oats, 8d ; a 
yearling hog, 8d. ; a carcase of mutton, 4d. ; two good hens a 
penny, a good goose a penny ; and four gallons of good beer 
also a penny ! How the manor passed from the Archbishop to 
the Crown is not known. In 6th James I. it was chiefly held 
nnder a Crown lease for 70 years by Jane Bering. From 1620 
to 1710 the family of Garway held it. It subsequently passed to 
the families of Travies and Barker. In 1796 the demesne lands, 
281 acres, which are very fertile, were purchased by Thomas 
Henty, Esq. Mr. Henty brought the breed of Merino sheep to 
great perfection, and exported many of them to New South 
Wales. The inhabitants of Tarring were by ancient right 
excused from serving on juries on account of the service due to 
the Archbishop. In 24tli Henry VI. " the men of Terryng in 
the shyre of Sussex, upon the se banks dwelling," complained to 
the Lords in Council that their people had frequently been in- 
jured in life and property by the incursions of the Eng's ene- 
mies from France, Brittany and Spain. Two years afterwards 
the inhabitants obtained a charter for a weekly market on 
Saturdays, but this was of no long continuance. The original 
petition and charter are in the hands of the parish officers. 
(Cartwright.) The family of Hamper, which afterwards pro- 
duced the late well-known antiquary William Hamper, Esq., 
F.S.A., of Birmingham, were long resident in Tarring. In 1682 
George Hamper married Alice Selden, aunt to the illustrious 
John Selden, " the glory of the English nation,'* as Grotius calls 
him. 

John Selden WBB bom at Salvingtonin this parish in 1584, and 
the parish register records his baptism on the 20th of December, 
as " John the sonne of John Selden the minstrell.*' The father, 
however, is described by Aubrey ("Letters,'^ Vol.ii.,p. 530) as " a 
yeomanly man of about £40 a year, who played well on the 
violin.*' Hence his description as a " minstrel." This acquire- 
ment brought him the favour and love of a gentlewoman, Mar- 
garet, daughter of Thomas Baker, of Rustington, of the knightly 
fiimily of that name in Kent. For a copious account of the 
eminent jurist, antiquary, and patriot, John Selden, see "John- 
son's Life of Selden," and "Worthies of Sussex," p. 1 — 11. His 
birth-place is a small timbered house formerly called Lacies, 
probably a fragment of a larger o^e. It bears the date 1601, to 



TARRING, WEST, 197 

indicate some repairs then made, for the original house must 
have been of earlier date. On the lintel of the low door inside 
is the following distich, said to have been carved by Selden him- 
self when a boy of ten : — 

'* Gratus. honestb. mihi. non claudar. inito. sbdbqub. 
Fur. areas : non sum pacta soluta, tiri." 

Which Mr. J. G. Mchols happily paraphrases — 

" Welcome if honest I Glad such men to greet, 
I will not close — walk in and take thy seat. 
Thief, get thee gone I 'gainst thee a stout defence, 
I open not, but boldly bid thee hence."* 

I strongly donbt the fact of Selden's having either composed 
or cut this inscription, as the letters are much too archaic for 
the assumed date. The Rectory-house, of which some remains 
exist, is supposed to stand on the site of the Archbishop's 
palace. This is doubted, but I believe the statement to be cor- 
rect, as the chapel, 38 feet by 25, and the hall 40 feet by 20, 
remain, together with a range of buildings called Parsonage- 
row. " They are of the time of Henry VI. or Edward IV., and 
are among the most perfect specimens of ancient architecture in 
the Eape of Bramber.'' (Cartwright). Hither Thomas-a-Becket 
is said frequently to have resorted, and to have planted figs near 
the house. The fig orchard adjoiniag it was raised from some 
old stocks in the rectory garden. It was planted in 1745, and 
contains 100 trees, which produce about 2,000 dozen of the fruit 
annually. This is probably the. largest plantation of figs in 
England. It is a curious fact that a bird resembling the Becca- 
fico or fig-eater of Italy migrates hither during the fig season. 
The flocks remain five or six weeks, and then disappear as they 
came, seaward. 

The church (St. Andrew) is large and handsome, with chancel, 
nave with aisles, north porch, and west tower, supporting a lofty 
octangular shingled spire. The nave and aisles are Early Eng- 
lish, iSie former very lofty with narrow clerestory windows. The 
chancel and tower are Perpendicular, the former having a large 
east window, a piscina, six oak stalls, some panneling and 
benches. (Hussey.) The building was thoroughly restored 
some years since at an expense of nearly £3,000. The window 
under the tower is a memorial to Robert Southey, set up at the 
expense of his eldest daughter, the wife of the present vicar. 
In this church was formerly a chantry, dedicated to the Virgin, 
probably founded by one of the family of Atte Felde (who were 
very ancient in this and the neighbouring parishes) before the 

* *' Gentleman's Magazine," September, 1834. 



198 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

year 1282. There are memorials in this fine chnrcli for the 
names of Negus, Coopper, Whitpaine, Brookbanks, Cooke, Stiles, 
Mitford, Whitebread, Jordan, Campion, Green, Haines, &c. 
There are six modem bells. The chnrch chest contains the 
churchwardens' accounts from 1515 till 1579, and are full of 
curious entries. The Tarringites must have led a merry life 
occasionally, especially at their " church-ales," when they feasted 
and drank right heartily. The bill of fare for 1562 contains 
among other items, " 5 calvys, 8 lams, 4 sheype xxjs. iiijd., 5 
bushels of malt, to cawfys hedes, ijd., a lygke of motton iiijd.," 
with pepper, saffron and other spices. Their ^^mynsterylles'* 
had 6s. 8d., exclusive of the " Drowme pleyr," who had 12d. 

For DuBEiNaTON and Heene, now ecclesiastically united with 
Tarring, see those articles. 

[S. A. C. John Selden, v, 79. viii, 271. xv, 170. xviii, 163. xix, 
190. Ancient house, vii, 47. Durrington tithes to Sele Priory, x, 115, 
121. Durrington church, x, 115. xii, 110. Stephen de Offington, land in 
Durrington, xi, 100. Heene, To rtington Priory had lands, xi, 110. Parish 
church, xii, 110. X7, 41, Heene, chapel of St. Botolph, xii, 110. Lucas 
at Agincourt, xv, 137. Archbishop's manor, xv, 153. Bells, xvi, 225. 
Hampers of, xix, 190.] 



TELSCOMBE. 



A parish in the Hundred of Holmstrow ; Rape of Lewes ; distant six 
miles south-south-west from Lewes, its Post-town. Railway station, 
Newhaven. Union, Newhaven. Population in 1811, 95 ; in 1861, 
156. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £286 ; Incumbent, Rev. James 
Hutchins, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford, who is also Patron. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1684. Acreage, 1,349. Chief Land-- 
owners,t\iQ Beard family, the Earl of Abergavenny, and the Earl De 
la Warr. 

A very secluded South Down village, seldom visited except by 
huntsmen and lovers of racehorses. It is in a deep comhe or valley, 
whence the termination. It is thought to be the "Laneswice'' 
of Domesday, but it certainly bore the name of Titelescumbe in 
Saxon times. At the end of the reign of Elizabeth the manor 
belonged to Thomas, Lord Buckhurst, and after several changes 
it passed, in 1690, to Henry Shelley, Esq., of Lewes, to whose 
descendants, Henry and William D'Albiac, Esquires, it lately 
belonged. Eobert Plumer, Esq., who held the manor farm 
of Courthouse in 1667, aliened it to Henry Smith, Esq., the 
founder of the well-known " charity,^^ and its proceeds are 
devoted to six parishes in Surrey. The Hoddem or Hothdown, 



THAKEHAM. 199 

farm, in this parish was, until the last century, a rabbit warren. 
Near the village is one of the " Tyes," of frequent occurrence 
on and near the Downs. 

The church (St. Lawrence) was given with Southease, to the 
abbey of Hyde near Winchester, in the 10th century. It is a 
very small building, of chancel, nave, with north aisle and west 
tower, with a pyramidal cap. A north chancel, long since de- 
stroyed, was rebuilt a few years since, during the renovation of 
the church, towards which the late William Cotton, Esq., was a 
great benefactor. The date is Transition-Norman, There are 
memorials for the names of CoUey, Higgins, Crew, Povey, &c. 

Portobello, a coast-guard station, is a kind of hamlet of 
Telscombe, and possesses nearly one-half of the population of 
the parish. 

[S. A. C. Bell, xvi, 226. Alcock of Tetelescombe, a partizan of Jack 
Cade, xviii, 24.] 



THAKEHAM. 



Domesday, Taceham ; a parish in the Hundred of East Easwrith ; Rape 
of Bramber ; distant four miles south-ea&t from Pulborough station. 
Post-town, Hurst- Pierpoint. Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 
522; in 1861, 559. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £710 ; Patron 
and Incumbent, Rev. John Hurst, M.A., of Trinity College, Cam- 
bridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1628. Acreage, 2,dS0, 

It is a parish of the very usual Sussex shape, much 
longer than it is broad. It is about five miles from south to 
north, and about three-quarters of a mile from west to east. 
There are two small detached portions of this parish, one called 
Muttons or Childe's farm, adjacent to Washington, and the 
other West Caltons, which is entirely surrounded by West 
Chiltington. In Domesday, Morice held the manor of William 
de Braose, Brixi having before held it of King Edward, as 20 
hides, three roods. Afterwards it was reduced to five hides. 
There were 14 ploughlands, besides two in the demesne, 30 
villeins, and 12 cottagers, with eight ploughs. There were a 
church, a mill, and a wood of 60 hogs. '^ A knight holds one 
hide of land, where he has five oxen with a bondman." Temp. 
Edward I., the manor was valued at £14. It was held in 1270 by 
the ancient family of Le Poer or Power, when Stephen Poer 
died seised. *' His son or grandson," says Cartwright, " died 
in 1352, leaving two daughters and coheirs, between whom the 
manor became divided. It is a singular circimistance that the 
lineal descendants of these two daughters are, at present (1830), 



200 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

joint proprietors of the manor whicli lias descended in two un- 
interrupted lines, without any alienation, during the long period 
of 474 years." One moiety descended through the families of 
Apsley and Caldecot, to that of Shelley, of Lewes, now extinct; the 
other came through the Clothalls, Wilsheres, Bellinghams, Boys, 
and Lambs, to the Eev. Thomas Ferris. Thakeham Place, for- 
merly the residence of the Apsleys, was acquired by the marriage 
of Stephen Apsley with Margaret, daughter of Stephen le Poer, 
in the 14th century. A modem house marks the site of the 
ancient mansion, which, about a century since, enclosed a 
quadrangle, with an entiunce gateway, a chapel, and a great 
hall. A spring of clear water, known as St. Mary's weU, exists 
near the site. From the two coheirs of Eichard Caldecot, one 
portion of this property passed through several generations of 
the family of Butler, and it is now paJt of the settled estate of 
the Duke of Norfolk. The other moiety of the estate passed to 
the family of Newton of Southover, and was, a few years since, 
vested in their descendant, the late Mrs. W. Courthope Mabbott. 
Abingsjvorthj in the south part of the parish, formerly gave name 
to a now extinct family. It was for two centuries in the family 
of Mellersh, and has descended through two heiresses to Edward 
Fuller Upperton, Esq. Campions was formerly a place of some 
importance, though now only a farm, and belonged to a branch 
of the SheUeys. Apsley or Apslee^ on the north-east side of the 
parish, now also a farm, gave name to an influential family, who, 
as we have seen, inherited a moiety of the Le Poer estate in this 
parish. Sir Allen Apsley, Tiieutenant of the Tower, was des- 
cended from a younger branch of this race, and was father of 
Lucy, wife of Colonel Hutchinson, and authoress of the well- 
known " Memoirs " of her husband, who occupied a consider- 
able position in the reigns of James 1. and Charles I. (" Wor- 
thies of Sussex,** p. 156.) 

The church (according to Cartwright dedicated to St. Mary, 
but, as Mr. Gibbon says, St. Peter and St. Paul) is a picturesque 
building, of nave, chancel, and two transepts, with lancet win- 
dows. The tower appears to be of the time of Henry Vli. I 
have not visited this church, but a few years since it had screens 
dividing the chancel and the north transept, and benches indi- 
cating that date. Li the tower are five belk, the fourth of which 
has this distich : — 

" I will be glad, and much reioyce on the, o God most hie, 
And make my songs extol thy name above the starrie skie, 1748.** 

There are many monumental inscriptions. On the floor there 
are brasses for JT^otnas Slpsles, sonof William Apsley, Armiger, 
1517, and for ISettteapjJles, mother of William Apsley, Armiger, 



THAKEHAM. 201 

1515. On an altar-tomb of Alabaster, is another brass for 
ZSSSSLUl^. aipgleg, Armiger, 1527. Another altar-tomb, without 
inscription, commemorates John Apsley, and Mary Lewknor his 
wife, the former of whom died in 1587. An altar- tomb of Sussex 
marble, despoiled of its brasses, is for WiUiam, son and heir of 
John Apsley, Esquier, 1583. A much-defaced mural tablet of 
Caen stone bears the arms of the same family, but no inscrip- 
tion, according to Cartwright^s account. Still another mural 
tablet remains for Edward, only son of Sir Edward Apsley, of 
Apsley, 1651. Altogether the mortuary memorials of this 
ancient family are most interesting. There are also tablets for 
the names and families of Butler, SheUey, Mellersh, Butcher, 
Fuller, Lear, Banks, HiU, Williamson, Milner, &c., &c. 

In 1351 King Edward III. confirmed to Stephen le Poer or 
Power, the grant of a messuage and 42 acres of arable, and 
pasture for two oxen in Thakeham, for the maintenance of a 
chantry in the chapel of the Blessed Virgin, in the churchyard 
of Thakeham."'^ In 1512 a dispute arose between WilUam 
Apsley and Balph BeUingham as to the right of patronage to 
tlus chantry, who both claimed to be equally descended from 
Stephen le Power, the founder. The Vicar-General declared 
that the gift should be alternate, and the chantry is described as 
" Cantaria perpetua in capella Beatsa Marise Virginis in cemeterio 
ecclesisB de Thacham.^^ In the pleas of the Crown, 7th Edward 
I., it is averred that John le Suche (Zouche) rector of Chilting- 
ton, came armed with his neighbours and dependents into a cer- 
tain field called Eushfield in this parish, where Martin, rector 
of Thakeham, came with his men and a cart to collect the tithes 
of the same field, and when Suche saw the aforesaid Martin, he 
assaulted him with an iron fork, and a tenant of his shot the 
said Martin in the right breast with an arrow. Another tenant 
attempted to kill the poor rector as he lay upon the ground, 
with a hatchet ; whereupon the latter's servant struck the assail- 
ant with a bundle of wood and slew him. A coroner's inquest 
followed, but with no result. Such battles of the " church 
militant ^^ were not unfrequent in the middle ages. The names 
of the combatants and the witnesses are given by Cartwright, 
p. 251. 

[S. A. C. Apsley MSS. iv, 219. xii, 109. xiv, 224. Apsley pedigree, 
iv, 220. Domesday watermill, v, 272. Tithes to Sele Priory, x, 115. Church 
of, xii, 109. Weller of, xvi, 49. Church bells, xvi, 226. Lancet Brook, 
xvi, 250. Butler family, xvii, 222.] 

* The existence of chantry chapels in church-yards, unattached to the main build- 
ing, was not unusual at this date, and much later. 



202 HISTOBY OF SUSSEX. 

THORNET ISLAND (or West Thoraey). 

Domesdaj, Tomei ; a parish in the Hundred of Bosham ; Rape of Chi- 
chester, distant about seven miles south-west from that city; Post- 
town, Ems worth ; Railway station, Bosham. Union, Westboume. 
Population in 1811, 62; in 1861, 93. Benefice, a Rectory, valued 
at £320 ; Patron, Philip Lyne, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Chas. Philip 
Lyne, M.A., of Queen's College, Oxford. Acreage, 3,005. Chief 
Landowners, Frederick Pad wick, Esq., and the Lyne family. 

This little insulated parish lies near the centre of the estuary 
called Cliichester Harbour, and owing to the shallowness of the 
sea, either gains or loses area by the reflux or influx of every 
tide. It is within the peculiar jurisdiction of Bosham, and the 
descent of the manor has been the same. After the Conquest 
it was held of the church of Bosham by one Malger. A priest 
is specially mentioned in Domesday. 

The church is a plain ancient building of rubble and stone, 
dedicated to St. Nicholas, the mariner's saint, and there is one 
medieval bell, inscribed " Jhesus.'' Dallaway ascribes the edi- 
fice to the time of Warlewast, Bishop of Exeter, founder of the 
College of Bosham, about 1120. It has zigzag and other orna- 
ments of the Norman period. 

[S. A. C. Church, xii, 79. Bell, xvi, 226. Chichester Harbour, xvi, 
262. References to " Gentleman's Magazine," xviii, 95.] 



THREE BRIDGES. 



An important station of the London and Brighton Railway, 
from whence diverge lines to Tunbridge Wells and Midhurst. 
It is situated in the parish of Worth, on a branch of the river 
Mole, which formerly had three streamlets, crossed by as many 
bridges, unde nomen. 



TILGATE FOREST. (See Worth.) 



TICEHURST. 



Vulgo, Tisus; a parish in the Hundred of Shoyswell ; Rape of Hast- 
ings ; distant eight miles south-west from Cranbrook ; Post-town, 
Hawkhurst; Railway station, Ticehurst Road, distant about 3-^ 
miles. Union, Ticehurst. Population in 1811, 1,593 ; in 1861, 2,758. 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £700 ; Patron, the Dean and Chapter 
of Canterbury ; Incumbent, Rev. Arthur Eden, M. A., of Queen's 
College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. Acreage, 



TICEHURST. 203 

8,202. Chief Landowners, George Campion Courthope, Esq., and 
Nathan Wetherell, Esq. Seats, Whiligh, C. Courthope, Esq. ; 
Ridgeway, Samuel Newington, Esq., M.D. ; Pashley House, Nathan 
Wetherell, Esq. ; Pickford, E. Curry, Esq. 

Ticehurst is '* the wood on the Tees," a little tributary of 
the Medway, which flows through part of the parish. The manor 
of Ticehurst does not appear in Domesday. In 23rd Edward I. 
William de Echingham held it, and in 35th of the same reign 
Edmund de Passeley, or Passeleu (Pashley) held lands here, and 
in 10th Edward II. Edmund de Passele, the same, or a descend- 
ant, is described as lord. Two years earlier Alan de Buxhull is 
said to have held Tychehurst. The descent of the manor is very 
obscure. The names of Wanton, Ore, and others occur as pro- 
prietors of lands. In 1600 Thomas Pelham obtained a grant of 
two fairs to be held here. In 16th George III. James Dalrymple, 
Esq., married the daughter and heiress of John Apsley, Esq., 
whose son, John Apsley Dalrymple, Esq., was lord of the manor 
under his grandfather's wiU. The true descent of the manor 
awaits investigation. 

This large parish possesses many points of interest. The vil- 
lage is remarkably neat, and occupies a gentle eminence. It is 
surrounded by a pleasing undulated country. Hops are grown 
to a considerable extent. 

Pashley, a manor and estate in Ticehurst, gave name to the 
ancient family of Pashley, or Passeleu, which produced the well- 
known Edmund de Passeleu, Baron of the Exchequer temp. 
Edward I. In the reign of Elizabeth it became the property of 
the family of May, from whom descended the Mays of Burwash 
(the poet's branch), and of Rawmere in West Sussex. The heiress 
of Thomas May, Esq., married the Rev. Richard Wetherell, and 
died in 1833. The mansion was built temp. James I. It has the 
date of 1612, and contains some excellent oak carving of that 
date. It was formerly moated. Borezell is a moated manor 
house of considerable antiquity, and was for many descents the 
estate of the family of Roberts, descended from the ancient 
house of that name, at Glassenbury, in Kent. It is now the 
property of George Burrow Gregory, Esq., M.P. The family of 
Newington are of long standing in Ticehurst. They are de- 
scended from Sir AdamNewington, of Withernden in this parish, 
Knight, who was living in 1481, and the estate, until lately, re- 
mained in their possession. They have still excellent property 
in the parish. The family have been for several generations 
famed for their medical skill, and the late Mr. Newington, 
sen., of Vineyards, founded an establishment for the recep- 
tion of lunatics of the higher class. His son, Mr. Charles 
Newington, much enlarged the original plan, and at High- 



204 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

lands erected a splendid series of ornamental bnildings cm 
a commanding and beantifnl site, about half a mile from 
the village. The Chinese GaUery is a large building for in- 
door promenades, and there are spacions grounds, occupying 
200 acres, with carriage-drives, walks, plantations, cricket 
and archery grounds, billiard-rooms, a mnsenm, fountains, 
aviaries, conservatories, and a handsome chapeL This is one 
of the finest establishments in the kingdom for the nervous and 
insane, and the kind and humane treatment which the unfortu- 
nate inmates receive tends much to reheve their sufferings. (See 
memoir of Charles Newington in the " Worthies of Sussex,'' 
254). The establishment is now the property and under the 
care of his son, Dr. Samuel Newington. — ^Whiligh, an ancient 
manor, formerly held by the families of Pashley, Warde, Shoys- 
well, and Sanders, came into the possession of John Courthope, 
Esq., in 1512, from whom it has descended to George Campion 
Courthope, Esq., the present proprietor. Whiligh is a large 
structure of brick, surrounded by fine trees in the centre of an 
extensive park, and lies about three miles from the village. 
There are several other excellent residences, villas, &c., in the 
parish. Ticehurst gave name to a family now widely spread in 
the middle and lower classes of society. 

The church (St. Mary) consists of a nave, with aisles, a 
chancel, fianked with two chantry or manorial chapels, each 
having a piscina, and a tower with shingled spire. There are 
six beUs, dated 1771, with doggerel verses on each. On the north 
side of the porch are the arms of Echingham. In the windows 
are some remains of ancient painted glass. There is a brass for 
3i[0i)n W&l^iWCnt, Esq., and his two wives, Edith and Agnes, date 
1490 ; and there are interesting memorials for the Courthopes 
of Whiligh, the Mays of Pashley, the Eobertses of Borezell, and 
the Newingtons of Withemden, and references to the names of 
Rivers, Elliot, Hollist, Scafe, Busbridge, Apsley, and many 
others. Over the porch is a parvise, or upper chamber, with a 
grated window, supposed to have been a manorial prison. 

Ticehurst has two district churches : — 

Stonegate, 2 J miles south-west of the parish church, is a 
Perpetual Curacy ; Patron, G. C. Courthope, Esq. ; Incumbent, 
Eev. J. D'Arcy W. Preston. Population in 1861, 525. Dedica- 
tion, St. Peter. 

FiiiMWELL, 2^ mUes east, is also a Perpetual Curacy, value 
£100, in the gift of the Bishop of Chichester, and held by the 
Eev. Chas. James Eagleton, B.A. Population in 1861, 804. Dedi- 
cation, St. Augustine. 

[8. A. C. Iron-works, ii, 217. Wybarne brass and family, viii, 17. 
Passeley and La Leake Chapels, &c., xiii, 47. xix, 88. Grant of lands by 



TILLINGTON. 205 

Queen Elizabeth, xiii, 110. Rectory belonged to Hastings Priory, xiii, 
156. Hamerden manor, xiv, 112. Apsley family, xiv, 114. Courtbope 
family, xvi, 46. Whiligh, xvi, 46. Church bells, xvi, 226. xvi, 231. xvi, 
232. Borezell and Roberts family, xvi, 292. Pashley, ibid. May family, 
xvi, 292. xix, 88. Tyse, or Tees, river, xvi, 272. Manor to Battle Abbey, 
xvii, 54. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 24.] 



TIDEBKOOK. (See Wadhurst.) 



TILLINGTON. 



Domesday, Tolintune ; a parish in the Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Rape 
of Arundel ; distant one mile west from Petworth, its Post-town and 
Railway station. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 650; in 
1861, 908. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £740 ; Patron, Lord 
Leconfield ; Incumbent, Rev. Robert Ridsdale, M.A., of Clare 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1572. Acre- 
age, 3,766. Chief Landowners, Lord Leconfield and William Town- 
ley Mitford, Esq., M.P., of Pitts Hill. 

In the reign of Edward the Confessor the Countess Eddeva 
held under that monarch, and temp. Domesday Robert was 
tenant of Earl Eoger. At the creation of the Honour of Pet- 
worth for Josceline of Louvaine, Tillington became a constituent 
part, and has so continued, Lord Leconfield holding in demesne 
and free land 1,957 acres, part of which is in the great park of 
Petworth. In 1760, William Mitford, Esq., descended from the 
great northern family of Mitford Castle, co. Northumberland, 
began the erection of the mansion called Pitts Hill, which 
wa>s completed by his son in 1794. The site is remarkable for 
great natural beauty, and the appliances of art have rendered 
it a charming residence. 

The church of Allhallows has portions in the Decorated style. 
It consists of a chancel, and a nare and south aisle, separated 
by a low arcade, the capitals of which are of the early part of 
the 14th century. The light and lofty tower finished with flying 
arches, crossed in the centre, was erected in 1807 at the expense 
of the late Earl of Egremont (Dallaway). The inscriptions in 
the church are interesting, and comprise the names of Spencer 
(1593), Milward, Rowe, Mitford, and Capron, and of Dr. William 
Cox, a controversial rector, 1658 (see " Worthies of Sussex,'^ p. 
340). At River in this parish there seems to have been a chapel ; 
there are enclosures known as Chapel Field, Lady Field, Soul 
Field, and Chantry Field. A stone coffin was dug up here. 
(Arnold's Petworth). The rectory house is substantial and 
handsome. 



206 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

At or near Tillington was born, in 1753, Jolin Keyse Sherwin, 
the talented but unfortunate engraver. (" Worthies of Sussex," 
p. 37.) 

[S. A. C. Clock of Charles I., iii, 103. Domesday watermill, v, 272. 
Church, xii, 103. xvi, 226.] 



TORTINGTON. 

A parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Rape of Arundel ; distant li 
mile south-west from Arundel, its Post-town. Railway stations, 
Arundel and Ford. Union, East Preston. Population in 1811, 78 ; 
in 1861, 112. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £175 ; Patron, the 
Duke of Norfolk ; Incumbent, Rev. R. F. Tompkins, B. A., of St. 
John's College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1560. 
Acreage, 1,131. Chief Landowners^ the Duke of Norfolk and J, 
Montefiore, Esq. 

Tortington lies partly on the alluvium of the Arun, which 
river forms its eastern boundary. On the north, towards Arundel 
Park, there is considerable woodland. The manor was held in 
Saxon times by one Lewin, a free man, and was assessed at 4 
hides. After the Conquest, Emucion held it of Earl Eoger de 
Montgomeri at 3 hides. There were 6 villeins, 2 cottars, and a 
wood of 6 hogs. In 1210 the Prior of Tortingtx)n was rated at 
2 knights' fees, which he held by the service of defendiug Arun- 
del Castle for forty days, during the time of siege. In 1244 
John Fitz-Alan obtained it, and annexed it to his demesne of 
Arundel. A subsequent member of the Arundel family, in 9th 
Elizabeth, sold it to John Apsley, Esq., who transferred it to 
Eoger Gratwicke, Esq., who built the manor-house called. Tor- 
tington Place. It afterwards passed through the families of 
Weekes and Leeves into the hands of Charles, Duke of Norfolk, 
in whose noble descendant it still vests. Pedigrees of the Grat- 
wicke and Leeves families are given by Dallaway (" Eape of 
Arundel," page 83). 

The Priory of Tortington stood on the banks of the river, 
about \\ mile below Arundel, and its existing remains are con- 
fined to some walls in a bam near the farm-house of Tortington. 
This Priory of Augustinian canons, which was dedicated to St. 
Mary Magdalen, was founded by the Lady Hadvisia Corbet, who 
is conjectured to have been of the D'Albini family; but of this 
lady's history and the exact date of the foundation little is 
known. The Priory was in existence temp. King John, and it 
was probably dependent upon the Abbey of Seez in Normandy. 
Its revenues were mainly derived from lands in West Sussex, 
and the Prior had an " inn " or town house in the parish of St. 



TREYFOKD. 207 

Swithin, in London. Few and simple are the annals of this 
small establishment, and, like others of its class, it was in a 
state of poverty down to the date of the Dissolution, when the 
revenues were valued at only £101 4s. Id. The establishment 
was evidently badly conducted, for in 1478 the Prior was accused 
of idolatry by adoring the bread and wine, and by placing relics 
of the saints on the altar, wherefrom arose unseemly strife. 

The church is very small, and has only chancel and nave, with 
a wooden bell-cot over the west end, and south porch. It was 
formerly larger, and probably cruciform in arrangement. It 
has Norman features, and some which are probably Early Eng- 
lish. There is some early painted glass. The building has been 
much patched. There is a brass plate for i^ogn; ®tattoift, lord 
of the manor of Tortington-Cheneys, 1596, and another inscrip- 
tion for the names of Lister, &c. There is one beU. 

[S. A. C. Priory bad lands in Lyminster, xi, 106. xiii, 46. Notes on 
the Priory (Turner), xi, 109. xviii, 55. Leeves family, xii, 102. Box- 
grove Priory lands here, xv, 90. Bell, xvi, 226. River Aran, xvi, 258. 
Gratwick family, xvii, 159.] 



TREYFORD. 

Domesday, Treverde ; a parish in the Hundred of Dnmpford ; Rape of 
Chichester ; distant five miles south-west from Midhurst ; Post-town, 
Petersfield. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811,114; in 1861, 
123. Benefice, a Rectory, with the Vicarages of Elsted and Didling 
annexed ; Patroness, Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt ; Incumbent, Rev. 
William Downes Willis, M.A., of Sidney Sussex-College, Cambridge. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1728. The whole parish, consisting 
of 1,260 acres, belongs to the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt. 

It is a long and narrow parish, and the village stands on a 
slope of the South Downs. On the top of Trey ford hill is a line 
of five lofty barrows, called " Devil's Jumps." The manor was 
held, before the Conquest, by Alard, of Earl Godwin ; afterwards 
of Earl Eoger, by Robert Fitz-Tebald. In the 16th century, 
and probably earlier, it was held by the Aylwins, a family of 
great antiquity in this district. They continued in possession 
until 1772, when Robert Aylwin, the last male of the elder line, 
died, leaving two daughters and co-heiresses, Mary, married to 
Charles Talbot, second son of George, Earl of Shrewsbury, and 
Elizabeth, wife of Sir William Mannock, Bart. They sold it to 
Sir James Peachey, Bart., whose descendant, Henry John, third 
Lord Selsey, dying without issue in 1838, the property passed 
to his only sister, the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harcourt. The name 
of Aylwin is still subsisting in younger branches, chiefly farmers, 



208 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

in this and the adjacent parishes. The ancient manor-honse of 
the Aylwins, which has some remarkably fine brickwork, still 
remains. 

The old church (St. Mary) was superseded by a new one, 
dedicated to St. Peter, which was consecrated in 1849, haying 
been bxiilt at the charge of the patrons, the Eev. L. Vernon 
Harcourt, and the Hon. Mrs. Vernon Harconrt. It is from 
designs by Ferry, and consists of a chancel, nave, north and 
south aisles, with a tower and spire at the north-west angle. 
The siyle is Decorated, and the workmanship excellent. The 
spire, reaching the height of 120 feet, is a conspicuous ornament 
to the landscape. This church affords accommodation to the 
two afiUiated parishes of Elstead and Didling. 

[8. A. C. Domesday watermill, v, 272. Church, xii, 79. Bell, xvi, 226. 
River Rother, xvii, 259.] 



TROTTON. 

Domesday, Traitune; a parish in the Hundred of Dumpford; Rape of 
Chichester; distant four miles west from Midhurst; Post-town, 
Petersfield, which is also its Railway station, distant about six miles. 
Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 370; in 1861, 452. Benefice, 
a Rectory, valued at £296 ; Patron and Incumbent, Rev. Edward 
William Batchellor, B. A., of Christ Church, Oxford. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1581. Acreage, 3,877. 

Like many parishes in this district, Trotton is much dis- 
proportioned in its length and breadth, the former being from 
south to north nearly seven miles, while the latter averages but 
J of a mile. The village is situated on a fertile soil, near the 
north bank of the Western Bother. The scenery in many parts 
is rich and picturesque. The manor was held in Saxon times 
by the Countess Goda of the King. At the date of Domesday 
it had a church and a mill, and formed part of the vast estate of 
Earl Eoger de Montgomeri. In the reign of Edward I. it was 
held by military tenure by Sir Ralph Camoys, who gave it the 
name of Camoys Court. His distinguished descendants, the 
Barons Camoys, became extinct in ilie male line in the 15th 
century, when Trotton passed, by a co-heiress, to the Lewknor 
family. The male issue of this branch failed in 1520, and a co- 
heiress conveyed it to the family of Mille, at a later period 
Baronets, who held it for several generations. In 1723 it 
belonged to Alcocke, in 1834 to Twyford, afterwards to Mowatt, 
and it is now in the possession of Beginald Henry Nevill, Esq. 
DuMPFOED, in this parish, gives name to the Hundred ; and the 
chapelry of Milland, in a remote part of the parish, has a 



TROTTON, 209 

chapel (St. Luke) called, in the 16th century, " the chappill of 
Tuck's-hythe." * 

The church (St. George) was re-built towards the year 1400, 
by Thomas, Lord Camoys, K.G., who also erected tiie bridge 
over the Rother. It consists of a nave and chancel, under one 
roof, and tower, with shingled spire. It contains an interesting 
brass, unfortunately much mutilated, for the Lady idatgatet 
(HEVXO^fif 1310 (perhaps the earliest for a lady in England), and 
a magnificent table-tomb with canopied brasses for Cf)Otna]SI^ 
iSaton dtSLXaOTS^f and Elizabeth, his wife, the widow of Henry 
(Hotspur) Percy, and the " Gentle Kate " of Shakspeare (1419). 
There are likewise three table-tombs, of which the inscriptions 
are almost erased, but one of then seems to commeniorate the 
family of Eorster. There are later memorials for the families 
of Alcocke, Aylwin, Twyford, &c. 

At the rectory-house in this parish, was bom, in 1661, Thomas 
Otway, the greatest tragic poet, next to Shakspeare, whom the 
English tongue has known. At the time of his birth, his father, 
Humphrey Otway, was curate of Trotton, and afterwards rector 
of Woolbeding. For memoirs of this man of genius, whose 
rugged and troublous life and wretched death were in them- 
selves a tragedy, see " Worthies of Sussex," p. 203. William 
Joliffe, Esq., a short time since resident at Trotton, has paid 
a tribute to the poet's memory by a Latin inscription on a brass 
plate in the church. 

Trotton Bridge of five arches spans the Eother, and is unques- 
tionably the finest bridge in Sussex. The arches are supported 
by ribs, and the whole structure, which is of the stone of the 
country, is eminently picturesque. A local tradition asserts that 
it cost Lord Camoys only a few pence less than the church, which 
is extremely probable. 

At Trotton Place, close to the church-yard, a mansion of the 
time of Queen Anne, with recent additions, resides Arthur 
Edward Knox, Esq. (lessee) the accomplished author of " Orni- 
thological Rambles in Sussex," and other works on similar 
subjects. The house, doubtless, represents the site of the manor- 
house, though the old Camoys Court, or Castle, I think, from 
inspection, must have stood on a hillock to the south-east of 
the church, near which traces of old foundations are frequently 
turned up. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermilljV, 272. Milland chapel, an d Cobden,xii, 
75. Church, xii, 79. Forster, xvi, 50. Bells, xvi, 218, 226. Otway, xvi, 257, 
259. River Rother and Bridge, xvi, 259. Lewknor, xvii, 97. Milles, of 
Canaois Court, xvii, 112. Trotton topography, xviii, 95.] 

* Milland is now diBmembered from Trotton, and forms a separate parish. 
VOL. II. P 



210 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS. 

This beautiful and elegant resort of fashion lies partly in 
the parishes of Tunbridge and Speldhurst, in Kent, and partly 
in Frant, in Sussex. The population now probably exceeds 
12,000. It has a railway station on a branch of the South- 
Eastem line, and lies about 32 miles from London and five miles 
south of " Tunbridge town." This now well-known place was, 
two centuries and a half since, for the most part a heathy plain, 
interspersed with rocks, till, in 1606, Dudley, Lord North, then 
on a visit at Bridge, the seat of Lord Abergavenny, discovered 
the valuable chalybeate spring emanating from a bed of secon- 
dary iron ore, and having drunk the waters of it fonnd great 
benefit from them. The Earl of Abergavenny enclosed the spring, 
and made improvements for the attraction of visitors. The 
scheme was successful, and in 1630 Queen Henrietta came 
hither with a large retinue, but was obliged to encamp on the 
down for want of house accommodation. Tor many years after 
this the visitors, during the summer season, were literally 
" dwellers in tents," or had to resort for lodging to Southborough 
and other places. Catharine of Braganza, Queen of Charles IL, 
admired the spot, which soon became a fashionable watering- 
place, but it was not until such men as Cibber, Dr. Johnson, 
Garrick, Eichardson, &c., a century later, patronized the place 
that it acquired a wide renown. The original spring still remains 
open, and is surrounded by modem erections. The articles of 
inlaid wood for boxes, toys, &c., known as " Tunbridge ware," 
have long been manufactured here. 

The scenery is everywhere pleasing and romantic, and one 
hardly knows whether to call Tunbridge Wells an urhs in rare or 
a rus in urhe^ so delightfully mixed up are its houses, commons, 
green glades, and sandstone rocks. The " high rocks" are most 
interesting. In a valley close to Rusthall Common, about a mile 
distant, is another group of rocks very remarkably shaped, and 
"^T ^^ *^^^> ^he most singular in the group, is known as the 

load Eock." The living is a perpetual curacy, and the old 
chapel of ease, originally built in the seventeenth century, is 
dedicated to St. Charles the Martyr ! Christ Church and Trinity 




are aoundant The undulating character of the country gives 

Mnnr!i q^^T^^^^ ^^^hcr curious designations, as Mount Ephraim, 

pS L ^T.V^'^'i''* Pleasant, and Bishop's Down. Calverley 

in evei^ diJe^^^^^^^ «P<^.*- . New mansions are springing uj 

retreat in Fr..!i^ f,""^ ^^ ^'^'^^^^^ *^^^^ ^^ no more deUghtful 
retreat m England than Tunbridge Wells. 



TURWICK. TWINEHAM. 211 

TURNER'S HILL. 
A considerable hamlet in the parish of Worth. 



TURWICK or TERWICK. 



A parish in the Hundred of Dumpford, Rape of Chichester; distant abont 
six miles west from Midhurst ; Post-town, Petersfield. Union, Mid- 
hurst. Population in 1811, 109; in 1861, 106. Benefice, a Rectory, 
valued at £173 ; Patron, T. A. Richards, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Wil- 
liam Steward Richards, M.A., of Jesus College, Oxford. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1577. Acreage, 718. Chief Landovmera, 
Thomas Ridge, Esq., and Reginald H. Nevill, Esq. 

From Norman times the descent of Turwick has been 
associated with that of Rogate, wrhich see. 

Dangstein Honse in this parish is a large mansion, built 
within the last 40 years, in the Grecian style, and occupying a 
commanding site, with a genuine West Sussex landscape. It is 
the seat of Reginald H. Nevill, Esq., and the Hon. Lady Nevill. 
The gardens attached to this house are very large and beautiful, 
and the numerous conservatories contain an extensive collection 
of all that is botanically rare and choice. The fernery is, perhaps, 
under the skill and taste of the honourable lady of the house, the 
finest in England. 

The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a small plain structure, 
and was restored in 1847. 

[S.A.C. Church,xii,79. Bells, xvi, 226. River Rother, xvi, 259.] 



TWINEHAM. 



A parish in the Half- Hundred of Wyndham ; Rape of Lewes ; distant 
5^ miles south-west from Cuckfield,its Post-town. Railway station. 
Burgess Hill, distant about five miles. Union, Cuckfield. Population 
in 1811, 234 ; in 1861, 339. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £400 ; 
Patron, Sir Charles Goring, Bart ; Incumbent, Rev. William Moly- 
neux, M. A., of Christ Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Re- 
gister, 1716. Acreage, 1,908. Chief Landowner, John Wood, Esq., 
of Hickstead. 

Twineham is described in Domesday as Benefelle. Its prin- 
cipal manor is now called Twineham Benfeld, and had formerly 
owners of its own name. In the 17th century it belonged to 
the Coverts, and passed from them by marriage to the Gorings 
of Highden, who still hold it. The manor of Twineham proper 
belonged to the Lords la Warr, who were resident there ; but 

p 2 



212 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

in the reign of Elizabeth it became the property of the family 
of Stapley, who dwelt at their manor house of Hickstead untU 
1762, when, on the death of Bichard Stapley, Esq., it devolved 
on Martha, his eldest daughter and co-heiress, who married 
John Wood, Esq. His son, J. Wood, Esq., who died in 1831, 
bequeathed it to his nephew, the present possessor. It was 
anciently held of the barony of Lewes by the service of a pair 
of gilt spurs and 6d. Hickstead Place, which has traces of the 
architecture of temp. Henry VII., including carved work with 
the badges of the Lords la Warr, has been fitted up most taste- 
fully in medieval fashion by the present proprietor. Near the 
house is a building fancifully called the Castle, which is evidently 
only a portion of the original mansion. 

The church (St. Peter) consists of chancel, nave, south porch, 
and western tower, the whole, except a low shingled spire, built 
of brick^ a material very unusual in this district. It is probably 
of the last half of the 16th century. It contains many inscrip- 
tions for the Stapleys, and one or two for the Woods. There 
are three bells, two of which are ancient and inscribed to St. 
John Baptist, and Simon Peter. In the south window of the 
chancel are the arms of La Warr, probably removed from an 
earlier church. 

[8. A. C. Interesting Diaries of the Stapleys, ii, 102 — 128 (Turner), 
xviii, 151 — 162 (Turner). Pedigree of, ii, 117. Coverts of, x, 160. 
Bynes of, xii. 111. Poynings of, xv, 16. Killingbeck of, and Qnakers, 
xvi, 71. Bells, xvi, 226. River Adur, xvi, 251.' Edward Hinde, rector, 
xviii, 152. Church, xviii, 154. Westlands in, xviii, 159. Earthquake, 
record of, xviii, 161. Wapses, Colwells, Wyndhams, Cripps, Wood, 
xviii, 153. Morley manor, church repaired, Streatfeild, xviii, 154. Lin- 
tott, " the largest man that ever was seen," died 1732, Benefields, Goring, 
xviii, 158. Roman remains, xix, 195.] 



UCKFIELD. 

Vulgo, JJckful ; a parish in the Hundred of Loxfield-Dorset ; Rape 
of Pevensey ; distant eight miles north-east of Lewes. It is a 
Post-town, and has a Railway station on the Brighton and Tunbridge 
Wells line. It is the centre of a Poor- Law Union. Population in 
1811, 916; in 1861, 1,740. Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at 
£335 2s. 6d. ; Patron, the Archbishop of Canterbury, one of whose 
• Peculiars it is ; Incumbent, Rev. Edward Thomas Cardale, M. A. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1538. Acreage, 1,717. Seats, The 
Rocks, Richard James Streatfeild, Esq. ; Uckfield House, John Day, 
Esq. ; Molesey Gore, Fred. Brodie, Esq., &c. 

This interesting little town is delightfully situated on the 



UCKFIELD. 213 

sand formation forming the Forest Eidge of Sussex, and is re- 
markable for its liealthful climate and picturesque scenery. It 
was anciently a portion of the great parish of Buxted, but it 
has been dismembered for civil and ecclesiastical purposes for 
a considerable length of time. The Rev. Edward Turner's ac- 
count of the parish is full of interest as to its ancient history. 
(" Sussex Collections," vol. xii.) That gentleman justly observes 
that " this place has become singularly modern — almost every- 
thing of antiquarian value about it having of late years fast 
disappeared." The church (formerly chapel) of Uckfield is a 
recent building for the most part, though a few ancient fea- 
tures have been retained. The Tudoresque old bridge of three 
arches, which spanned the Uckfield branch of the Ouse, has 
given way to a railway bridge of no picturesque interest. 
Sfadame d'Arblay, so long ago as 1779, could not discover any- 
thing of interest in Uckfield, when she visited it with Mrs. 
Thrale, en r(mte from Tunbridge Wells to Brighton. 

The name of the parish is probably derived from the oak tree, 
though this etymology has been doubted, as this is not an oak- 
growing district. Perhaps some remarkable oak stood here. 
Ashcombe is not celebrated for its ash trees, nor Thornhill for 
its thorns, nor Appledore for its apple-trees ; but among our 
Saxon ancestors it was quite customary to name a place from 
some individual tree, and, upon the lucus a non Iticendo principle, 
the rarer a particular tree was, the more likely it was to confer 
its name on the locality. The medieval spelling of the name is 
Okenfeld or Okyngfeld. The parish, or rather chapelry, does 
not appear in Domesday, and the earliest record we have of it 
is, according to Mr. Turner, 1291 (" Pope Nicholas's Taxation"), 
though he thinks a church existed here nearly a century earlier 
than that date. In 1299 King Edward I., on a "progress" 
from Canterbury to Chichester, staid at Uckfield for one night. 
His retinue must have been large, for he had to purchase a great 
deal of beer. The entry in the record is : " To the clerk of the 
pantry for 82 gallons of beer, bought from Amald de Uckfield, 
at Uckfield, 23rd June, 10s." The roads were no doubt dusty,, 
and the suite thirsty after their ride. 

The old church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, had features of 
Perpendicular, Decorated, and probably earlier styles. It being 
in a state of dilapidation, and inadequate to the population, it 
was taken down in 1839. There are memorials for the families 
and names of Wilson, Courthope, Egles, Goring, Streatfeild, 
Ogle, Ellis, and Fuller. The last mentioned has a brass of a 
male figure, and bears the date of 1610, and a record of his 
benefaction to several parishes, of which Uckfield is one. The 



214 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

gift consisted of lOs. per anrnini, and the following doggerel 
stanza is placed on the tomb : — 

" Now I am dead and layd in grave, 
And that my bones are rotten, 
Bj this shall I remembered be, 
Or else I am forgotten." 

A gentleman having read this epitaph gave the following 
impromptu:— 

** O, traveller, stop I for tho' his bones be rotten, 
Fuller rests here, and must not be forgotten: 
For lo, he gave ten shillings that his name 
Might live for ever on the scroll of fame 1" 

This John ruller, gentleman, whose family were settled here 
for three generations, was ancestor of the Fullers, a family of 
great importance, who settled at Waldron, at Lewes, and several 
other places in East Sussex, and ultimately at Eose Hill, in 
Brightling, and were amongst the chief iron-masters of the 
county. The tower contains eight bells of no great antiquity, 
but with quaint inscriptions. 

Opposite the King's Head Inn is an apartment of stone with 
several recessed arches in the wall. It is now occupied by a 
baker. There is a tradition that this was formerly a prison cell, 
and that Bichard Woodman, the well-known Protestant Martyr, 
was once confined in it during the Marian persecution ; which 
is quite probable, as that brave man was born at Buxted, close 
by, and he speaks of one Goodman Day, of XJckfield, in his ex- 
amination. 

A free school was founded in or about 1690 by Dr. Anthony 
Saunders, rector of Buxted. By his wiU, dated 1718, he pro- 
vided for the education of twelve boys, six belonging to the 
parish of Buxted and six to TJckfield. He left his library, which 
consists of several hundred volumes of theology and classics, to 
this charity, which has been extended to twenty-four boys. The 
school-house stands in Church Street. Here in former years 
several well-known Sussex men, among whom was Dr. Edward 
Daniel Clarke, the celebrated traveller, received their prelimin- 
ary education. It may be mentioned that another learned 
English writer, Jeremiah Markland, resided at TJckfield in the 
middle of the last century. 

The town is, as I have said, delightfully situated. The High 
Street is particularly neat, and is flanked by several excellent 
residences ; but the great picturesque beauty of the place is the 
Lake close to the mansion called the Rocks. It is nearly sur- 
rounded by sandstone cliffs overhanging the water, from twenty 
to thirty feet high. Among their crevices trees grow luxuriantly, 
and in the lake there is an island covered with shrubs and trees. 



UDIMORE. 215 

TJokfield may be regarded as a kind of head quarters for as- 
tronomical science in the county. C. Leeson Prince, Esq., 
F.R.A.S., and Frederick Brodie, Esq., F.R.A.S., having observa- 
tories in the town, while Captain Noble, of Forest Lodge, in the 
adjacent parish of Maresfield, possesses another. The- purity of 
the local atmosphere has probably led these gentlemen in some 
measure to this branch of scientific enquiry. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, iii, 243. xix, 206. King Edward I. at, ii, 143. 
xii, 6. Wilson, family of, x, 38. xii, 20. Hutcbinsons of, xi, 45. Wood- 
wards of, xii, 10. Church, xii, 1. xx, 230. Ancient stone apartment — 
Woodman's prison, xii, 9. Dr. Saunders' school, xii, 12. xiv, 165. John 
Fuller, gentleman, xii, 18. Fuller family, xiii, 97. Egles family, xii, 19. 
xix, 206. Jeremiah Markland, xii, 21. Dr. E. D. Clarke, tfticZ. Eversfield 
of, xiv, 111. River, xv, 161. Centre of Wildish parts, xvi, 30. Hart 
family, xvii, 257. Baker of, and Jack Cade, xviii, 23, 38. Lindfield ac- 
counts passed at, xix, 47. The Bitome's clee, xx, 226. Chapel of Uckfeld, 
XX, 230. 



UDIMORE, 

Domesdaj J Dodimore ; vulgo, Uddi/mer ; &^&Tishmthe Hundred of Gostrow; 
Rape of Hastings; distant 3^ miles from Winchelsea. Post-town, Rye. 
Railway station, Winchelsea. Union, Rye. Population in 1811, 375; 
in 1861, 444. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £100, with several bene- 
factions. Patron, Frederick Langford, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. Thos. 
Lewis, M.A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 2,221. 

This parish, which lies chiefly on upland ground, is bounded 
on the south by the Brede channel. In the fourteenth century 
it suffered much from inundations on its lower side. Dodimore 
is described in Domesday as in the hundred of Babinreode which 
most probably corresponds, or nearly so, with the modem hun- 
dred of Gostrow. Eeinbert held it of the Earl of Eu. Before 
the Conquest, Algar (a name still existing in East Sussex) held 
it of Godwin, father of Harold. It was always held as six hides. 
There was a church, and the manor was valued at eight pounds. 
In 23rd Edward I. William, Lord Echingham, obtained free- 
warren for his manor of Odymere. In his descendants it vested 
until temp. Henry VI. In 1478, John Elrington obtained an- 
other grant of free-warren, for Udimere, and to enclose a park 
and fortify his mansion. Temp. Elizabeth, Henry, Lord Windsor, 
was lord. Later still, it passed to the Burdets and Bromfields, 
who held it of the family of Pelham, as of their castle and 
honour of Hastings. In 1717, Spencer Compton was lord, and it 
descended to the Cavendish family. Among the principal old 
houses in the parish were or are — Parsonage Place, once 
the abode of a branch of the Coopers of Icklesham; Knellstone, 



216 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

the residence of the family of Frebody, who were here for many 
generations; Hammonds (the Woodhams family); and Jordans, 
which was the home of a gentle family bearing that name. 
The old manor-house of the Bromfields stood to the south of 
the church-yard. Thomas Bromfield, Esq., who died in 1690, 
is supposed to have been the last of that family resident in 
Udimore. A detached portion of the parish known as Little 
TJdimore is surrounded by Sedlescombe and Brede. By the 
Reform Act of 1832, the whole parish was annexed for electoral 
purposes to the borough of Rye. 

The church (St. Mary), though small, is ancient (Horsfield 
says Early English), and has a chancel, nave, and a tower con- 
taining three bells. There was formerly -a south aisle. The 
chancel contained, in 1835, no less than nine lancet windows. 
(Horsfield.) There are monuments or inscriptions for the fami- 
lies of Jordan, Frebody, Burdet, Cooper, Woodhams, &c. This 
church was anciently appropriated to the Abbey of Roberts- 
bridge. 

A curious legend to the effect that Udimore derives its name from a 
circumstance connected with the building of this edifice is remembered 
by old inhabitants. The parishioners began to build themselves a church 
on the opposite side of the little river Kee, to that on which it was even- 
tually reared. Night after night, however, witnessed the dislocation of 
huge stones from the walls built on the preceding day, and the pious 
work bade fair to be interminable. Grave suspicious arose among the 
parishioners that they had selected an unholy, and consequently, an im- 
proper, site for the building, and these were eventually confirmed. Un- 
seen hands hurled the stones to the opposite side of the stream, and an 
awful supernatural voice in the air uttered, in warning and reproachful 
tones, the words " O'er the mere; o'er the mere\^'' thus at once indicating 
a more appropriate situation for the sacred edifice, and by anticipation 
conferring a name upon it, for the transformation of the phrase " O'er 
the mere," into Udimore, was no great difficulty.* 

The following hexameters are inscribed in the parish regis- 
ter : — 

*' Udimer infelix 1 nimis est oui Presbyter unus ; 
Presbyter infelix ! cui non satis Udimer una ; 
Impropriator habet Clero quae propria durus, ♦ 
Atque alter proprios Clerus peregrinus et hospes ; 
Ex decimis decimis fruitur lege sacerdos. 
Alter Evangelio reliquis prohibente potitur 
Eheu I quam pingui macer est mihi passer in arvo 
Idem est exitium fidei fideique ministro." 

Ita queritur Step. Parr, Vic, 

[S. A. C.King Edward I. visit, ii, 140. Smugglers, x, 92. Manor house 

♦ I must beg the reader's pardon for this piece of self-quotation. It originally ap- 
peared in my '' Contributions to Literature. ' 



UPMARDEN. 



217 



fortified, xiii, 117. Elryngtons of,xiii,116. Church, xiii, 136. Grant of 
Ranulph to the Canons of Hastings, xiii, 138. Legend respecting the 
church, xiii, 226. Burdett family, xiv, 30. Bromfield,xiv,115, 229. Church 
bells, xvi, 227. Tithes to Battle Abbey, xyii, 55. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 
25.] 



UPPER SEEDING, See Beedinq Upper. 



UPMARDEN. 

Domesday, Merdon ; vulgo,Jlfarn; a parish in the Hundred of Westboume ; 
Rape of Chichester ; distant nine miles north-west from Chichester. 
Post-town, Emsworth. Union, Westboume. Population in 1811, 246; 
in 1861, 366. Benefice, a Vicarage, united with Compton. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1748. Acreage, 2,928. Chief LandoivnerSy 
Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby, and Alexander H. Hall, Esq., of Water- 
gate House. 

The group of villages called " the Mardens " lies on the 
Downs, and its derivation from the Saxon moTy a waste heathy 
land, and duriy a hill, answers to the geographical position and 
ancient state. Domesday mentions four Merduns, and although 
four still exist, it would be difficult in each instance to appropriate 
description to locality. One was held in Saxon times by Aldwin, 
and Alaric ; another by Lepsi, of Gida, the countess of Earl 
Godwin; the third by Alwin, of the Confessor; and the fourth 
by Earl Godwin. After the Conquest, Earl Roger held them 
all. Upmarden has belonged at different periodLs to the Fitz- 
Alan family, to John, Lord Lumley, the Pages, and the Peck- 
hams, and has from the last-named passed as Compton. 

West Harden is a hamlet in this parish : its chapel was de- 
stroyed long since. The mansion of Watergate was built by 
William Drury (who was afterwards a gentleman of the privy 
chamber to Charles I.) before the year 1609, and continued in 
his descendants for several generations. It is now the property 
of Alexander H. Hall, Esq. 

The Church (St. Michael) is small and ancient. Rickman 
(1848) considers the wall-plate of the building to represent an 
example of the Early English style, with the tooth moulding. 
There are memorials for the names of Thomas, Phipps, Peck- 
ham, &c. 

[S. A. C. Church, xii, 79. Bells, xvi, 218. Green of West Harden, xvi, 
50. Oxford road to Chichester, xix, 169. Knights Hospitallers of Midhurst 
had lands in, xx, 27.] 



218 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

DP-WALTHAM, or Uppee Waltham. 

Domesday, Waltham ; a parish in the Hundred of Box and Stockbridge ; 
Rape of Chichester ; distant six miles south-west from Petworth, its 
Post-town. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 49 ; in 
1861, 71. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £128 ; Patron, Lord 
Leconfield ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Cogan, M. A., of St. John's 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1790. Acreage, 
1,245. Chief Landowner, Lord Leconfield. 

It is Up or Upper Waltham (sometimes West Waltham) in 
coDitradistinction from Cold Waltham, near the Arun. It occu- 
pies a hilly site on the Downs, whence the prefix. Two Wal- 
thams are mentioned in Domesday. At an early period the 
family of De Alta Ripa, or Dawtrey, held the manor, and con- 
tinued in possession for many generations. In 1776 it was pur- 
chased of the family of Luther (who inherited from that ancient 
race) by the late Lord Egremont, and added to the Petworth 
estate. 

The church is a smaU building of nave and chancel, with a 
dovecot spire. A late description calls it Early English, but as 
the diminutive chancel terminates with a semi-circular apse, it 
must be at least on Norman foundations. A rude engraving in 
the "Gentleman's Magazine" for 1793, misnames it Much- 
Waltham. 

[S. A. C. Lands to Tortington Priory, xi, 110. Parish, &c., xviii, 96. 
Eeede of, xix, 201.] 



VERDLEY. 

A manor in Farnhurst, which formerly had a small fortified 
building known as Verdley Castle, the ruins of which existed 
within the memory of persons still living. The manor is not 
mentioned in Domesday, but it has long been held of the Honour 
of Petworth. Of the history of this " Castle," little or nothing 
is known. Several traditional stories as to its original use have 
been current, without the slightest foundation. I believe, with 
the Rev. Edward Turner, that it was simply a hunting-tower, 
attached to some lordship, probably that of the De Bohuns. 
Some fragments of the walls were standing in Sir William 
Burrell's time, and a drawiQg of them with a ground plan (1770) 
is preserved among his MSS. Two or three of the window 
openings were in the Early English style. There was formerly 
a wood called Verdley Park, which contained 250 acres, and the 
early maps of Sussex represent the tower as surrounded by a 
park pale. The dimensions of the castle were 68 by 33 feet, and 



WADHURST. 219 

the walls were nearly six feet in thickness. These remains were 
destroyed for the sake of the stone, which the steward of the 
late Mr. Poyntz employed to mend the roads in the neighbour- 
hood! There are faint traces of a moat. See Rev. Edward 
Turner in " Sussex Collections," Vol. xii. 



WADHURST. 



A parish in the Hundred of Loxfield-Pelham ; Rape of Peyensey ; distant 
six miles south-east from Tunbridge Wells. It has a Railway station. 
Union, Ticehurst. Population in 1811, 1,815 ; in 1861, 2,470. Bene- 
fice, a Vicarage, formerly a peculiar of the Archbishop, valued at 
£659, in the gift of Wadham College, Oxford ; Incumbent, Eev. 
John Foley, B.D., of the same College. Date of earliest Parish Re- 
gister, 1604. Acreage, 10,147. Chief Landowners, E. W. Smyth, G. 
C. Courthope, J. J. Newington, Esqrs., and the Marquis Camden. 
Seat, Wadhurst Castle is the residence of Edward Watson Smyth, 
Esq. 

The name of this parish seems to be derived from the Anglo- 
Saxon wdd^ a ford, and hurst, a wood — " the ford by the wood." 
The parish is divided into six " quarters/' viz. : Town-quarter, 
Cousey- Wood-quarter, Bivelham-quarter, Faircrouch-quarter, 
Reseden-quarter, and Weeke-quarter. The surface is hilly, and 
the soil varies considerably. The scenery is pleasingly diversi- 
fied with woodland and hop-gardens. The soil is ferruginous, 
and hence the iron manufacture was largely carried on here. It 
may be mentioned that the iron-masters of this and the neigh- 
bouring parishes, and their connections were interred beneath 
cast-iron slabs. The passages of the nave and aisles of the 
church are almost covered with these slabs, with rude inscrip- 
tions and armorial bearings. They are no less than 30 in num- 
ber, ranging between the years 1626 and 1799. 

High-Town belonged, in or before the reign of Henry Viil., 
to the family of Maunser, and so continued for many genera- 
tions. It then passed to the Newingtons, and subsequently to 
the Bakers of Mayfield. Faircrouch was an ancient stone man- 
sion, but fell to dilapidation nearly two centuries since. The 
family of Whitfeld, formerly of Alstonmoor, in Cumberland, 
were once considerable proprietors here, and their descendants 
still survive in Sussex and Kent. A coheiress conveyed the 
estate to the family of Ballard. The Dunmolls also had good 
lands in the parish, which descended, through female lines, to 
the families of Mercer and Durrant. The family of Fowle, who 
built in 1591, the fine mansion of Eiverhall, were great iron- 
masters. The house still retains traces of its original grandeur, 
but the family has fallen to decay. The family of Barham, also 



220 HISTORY OF SUSSEX 

iron-founders, are said to have been descended f5rom Robert de 
Berham, son of Richard Fitz-TJrse, and brother of the assassin 
of Thomas a Becket. They lived at Great Butts, and about 
1630 John Barham, Esq., erected or re-builfc the spacious mansion 
of Shoesmiths. David Barham built the greater portion of the 
present house of Snape about 1617. The family fell into decay, 
and their present representative is a wheelwright at Wadhurst. 
Of this family was the celebrated lawyer, Nicholas Barham, 
Queen's Sergeant, temp. Elizabeth. 

The church (St. Peter and St. Paul) is partly in the Early 
English and partly in later styles of architecture. It consists 
of a chancel, nave, with aisles, and tower with a lofty shingled 
spire, and a musical peal of six bells. There are inscriptions 
and mural tablets to the memory of the families and names of 
Whitfeld,* Barham, Dunmoll, Tapsell, Legas, Comber, Porter, 
Colepeper, Alcorn, Aynscombe, Newington, Willett, Davison, 
Burgis, Courthope, Salmon, &c. 

TiDEBKOOK is a hamlet 2^ miles south-west from Wadhurst. 
In 1856 a district church (St. John the Baptist) was erected 
here. It is a perpetual curacy, value £53 per annum. It is in 
the alternate gift of the vicars of Wadhurst and Mayfield ; the 
present incumbent is the Eev. Albert J. Roberts, M.A., of St. 
John's College, Oxford. My late friend, William Courthope, 
Esq., Somerset Herald, made extensive collections respecting 
this and some neighbouring parishes, which he left in MS. Of 
their present ownership I know nothing. 

[S. A. C. Iron-works, ii, 217. iii, 241. xviii, 15. xix, 84. Extracts 
from parish register, iv, 269. Riverhall, xi, 12. xviii, 15. ii, 188, 218. 
Fowles of, xi, 12. ii, 54. Courthopes of, xi, 45, 68. vi, 87. Weekes of, 
xi, 82. Whitfeld family, xiv, 222. xix, 83. Lucks of, xvi, 48. Ballards of, 
xvi, 48. xix, 87. Benge of, xvi, 48. Humphreys of, and Sanders of, xvi, 
48. Church bells, xvi, 227, Streams at, xvi, 272. Battle Abbey lands, xvii, 
55. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 25. Snape iron-works, xviii, 15. Maynard's 
Gate iron-works, xviii, 15. Nicholas Barham, xix, 33. Hightown and 
Maunser family, xix, 179.] 



WALBERTON. 



Domesday, Walhurgetone ; a parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Eape 
of Arundel ; distant 3i miles south-west from Arundel, its Post- 
town. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 612 ; in 1861, 
588. Benefice, a Vicarage, with Yapton annexed, valued at £557 ; 

• Thomas Whitfeld, of Worth, Esq., a native of Wadhurst, founded three alms- 
houses here, and an annual charity of £10, besides 12 cords of wood for six poor 
families. In recognition of this liberalitj' the parishioners placed a monument to 
his memory in 1631. 



WALBERTON. 221 

Patron, the Bishop of Chichoster; Incumbent Rev. Thos. S. Lyle, 
Vogan, M.A., of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1556. Acreage, 1,722. Chief Landowner j Richard Prime, 
Esq. Seats, Walberton House, Richard Prime, Esq. Avisford House, 
Mrs. Reynell Pack, &c. 

Dallaway derives the name of tliis parish from the Anglo- 
Saxon ?2?^W2^r^-^e^/e, " demonstrative of a military station." The 
manor appears to have been connected with the lordship of Hal- 
naker. In the time of the Confessor it was held by three free- 
men, and was rated at 11 hides and two virgates. There were, 
at the making of Domesday, a chnrch, six serfs, and a wood of 
four hogs. The manor, when detached from the earldom of 
Armidel, passed through the families of St. John, Poynings, 
Bonville, and Paulet. It belonged subsequently to those of 
Racton and Bennet. Before 1687 Thomas Nash, gentleman, 
purchased the manorial estate, and his descendants enjoyed it 
for several generations. In 1800 Gawen Eichard Nash, Esq., 
sold it to General John Whyte, whose son, in 1817, sold it to 
Eichard Prime, Esq. The mansion was pulled down and re-built 
on a larger scale by Mr. Prime. Walbertoii House has been 
characterized as " a handsome mansion, with a beautiful and 
costly hall, staircase, and library." The architect was Sir Robert 
Smirke. Avisford Place, associated with the name of the hun- 
dred in which Walberton lies, is an elegant residence. The site 
is elevated, and commands an interesting sea view. This estate 
belonged some years since to Admiral Sir George Montagu, 
G.C.B., who sold it to General Sir Wm.Houston, G.C.B. A remark- 
able archaeological discovery was made on this estate in 1817. 
There were many fictile and glass vessels of the Roman period, 
most of which had been deposited in a* stone cist or coflfer, four 
feet in length. The Romans, no doubt, occupied the whole of the 
Sussex coast, and left many of their vestigia^ but, alas, where 
shall we find from inscription or votive altar what particular 
Roman colonist it was who lived at Walberton ! 

The church (Our Lady) has a large chancel, a nave, and two 
aisles, with a shingled turret containing three bells. Many 
coarse patchings appear to have been made since the period of 
the Reformation. Sir George West of Halnaker was buried 
herein 1538, but no memorial remains. There are inscriptions 
for the names of Nash (Gawen Nash, merchant, is described as 
" a great benefactor to this church and parish," ob. 1749), 
Rowe, Pette, Dorset, Whyte, &c. The Bishop's !^egister (R. f. 
43) has an entry of the excommunication of John Hore, vicar 
of this parish, dated 1441, for maiming William Skyrre, chaplain 
of Slyndon. " His crime was the effect of jealousy, and the 
catastrophe similar to that in which originated the most beau- 



222 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

tifdl and pathetic poem which has immortalized the genius of 
Pope." The same crime and punishment occur in the Arch- 
bishop's Register at Lambeth — " Castratio Edm. Roger, Prions 
de Bilsington, per R. Poundcheat." 

[8. A. C. Roman remains at Avisford, viii, 290. xi, 130. Fowler of, 
xii, 102. Church, xii, 103. xv, 90. Manor, xv, 59. Lands to Boxgrove, 
XV, 87. ibid, 90. Chnrch bells, xvi, 227. Lord Lumley's lands, xix, 102. 
Avisford Hill and Mackrel's Bridge, xix, 159.] 



WALDRON. 

Domesday, Waldrene; vulgo, Waldon; a parish in the Hundreds of Ship- 
lake and Dill ; Rape of Pevensey ; distant six miles south-east from 
Uckfield, its Railway station ; Post-town, Hawkhurst; Union, Uck- 
field. Population in 1811, 840; in 1861, 1,132. Benefice, a Rectory, 
valued at £455 ; in the gift of Exeter College, Oxford ; Incumbent 
Rev. John Ley, B.D., fonnerly Fellow of that College. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1564. Acreage, 6,218. Chief Landowners, 
Louis Huth, Esq., and FuUer-Meyrick, Esq. 

This is a beautifully undulated parish, in a picturesque 
part of the Weald, whence its name, Anglo-Saxon waldy a wood, 
and the views from various parts are very striking, especially 
that from the church-yard. In the last generation Waldron 
was almost a by-word for rusticity and lack of civilization. Now 
it is favoured with the presence of several persons of influence 
and wealth, who have entirely changed its character. Several 
excellent residences have sprung up, and among these may be 
named those of J. G. Boucher, Esq., R. H. Stainbank, Esq., and 
especially Possingworth. (vulgo, Possingfoord), the magnificent 
seat of Louis Huth, Esq. It is one of the grandest mansions in 
the South of England, and cost more than £60,000. It is from 
designs by Mr. Digby Wyatt, and contains every appliance of 
luxury and taste, including a fine picture gallery and noble con- 
servatories. Seams of coal, or fibrous lignite, with the appear- 
ance of jet, and with a velvet-like smoothness, occur in the geo- 
logical strata of the parish. 

In the time of Edward the Confessor, -Sllveva held a part of 
Waldrene, as allodial or free land. At the date of Domesday, 
Ansfrid held it of the Earl of Moreton. The principal manor in 
the parish, in later times, was that of Herringdales, alias Wal- 
dron. The manors of Laughton, Chiddingly, and Isenhurst also 
extend into it, and other manors, existing or reputed, are Fox- 
hunt (formerly belonging to Robertsbridge Abbey), Possing- 
worth, Tanners, and Horeham. 

In vol. xiii. of " Sussex Archaeological Collections,'' the Rev, 



WALDRON. 223 

Jolin Ley, Rector, has printed an excellent paper on the church, 
the manors, and the old mansions of the parish, a very brief 
precis of which is here given. 

To begin with the church of All Saints, sometimes written All 
Hallows, it consists of chancel, nave, north aisle with porch, and 
a low battlemented western tower, in the Perpendicular style, 
containing eight musical bells. The nave has Decorated inser- 
tions, and the chancel is Early English. A marble slab on the 
floor, incised with five crosses, was doubtless the original altar- 
stone. The east window is peculiar, and of the period from the 
Transition to the Perpendicular style. It formerly had, in painted 
glass, a man in armour kneeling, with the legend, $tas fot ti)e 
0(JUl of 3foJ)n ^elftam, who probably built the tower of this 
church as well as those of many others in the neighbourhood. 

About temp. Henry II. Eobert de Dene gave the tithes of this 
rectory to the Priory of Lewes, and his descendant, Sybilla de 
Icklesham, by license of the date of 1233, built a chapel for her 
own use in her manor-house of Waldeme. Her husband was 
Nicholas Harengod, or Heringaud, from whom, doubtless, the 
manor received its now corrupted name of Herringdales. The 
church contains' many memorials to the names of Courthope, 
Fuller, Dalrymple, Dyke, Offley, Lewis, &c., with many hatch- 
ments of some or other of these families. In one of the windows 
are the arms of Pelham, 

In times soon after the Conquest, Waldron was almost in a 
state of forest, and so continued for some centuries. So lately 
as 1842, when the tithes were commuted, 2,000 acres, or nearly 
a third of the whole parish, were regarded as tithe-free, as being 
woodland, or yet uncultivated, though this was not literally the 
case. The names Walderne, Foxhunt, the Dem, &c., all refer to 
a period when the place formed a portion of the Forest of Ande- 
rida, the great Weald of Sussex. Foxhunt belonged, in 1327, 
to Sir Ralph de Camoys. In the next century it vested in the 
Brownes of Betchworth Castle, ancestors of the Viscounts Mon- 
tague ; afterwards in the families of Threele, Pelham, Smith, 
and Gilliat. Heringauds, or Herringdales manor-house, where 
Sybilla's chapel existed, stood a little westward of the church, 
within a circular moat of 150 feet diameter, with embankments 
around it. From this family it passed to those of De Poynings, 
Browne (Viscount Montague), Fawkenor, Middleton, Pelham, 
and Smith. Possingworth manor was owned by a family who 
derived their name from it. John, son of Lawrence de Possynge- 
werse, demised it in the fourteenth century to the Heringauds, 
and aJFfcer many changes of proprietorship, it became vested in 
the Abbot and Convent of Robertsbridge, who held it until the 
Dissolution. At later dates it passed, through the Sidneys and 
Pelhams, to the great London-merchant family of Offley, one of 



224 HISTORY OF SUJ5SEX. 

whom, a Lord Mayor, Sir Thomas Offley, temp. Elizabeth, left 
half his estate (£5000) to the poor, and was thence called the 
London Zacchseus. He was remarkable for his abstemiousness, 
and it was said of him (as mentioned in^Fuller^s " Worthies") — 

** Offley three dishes had of daily roast, 
An egg, an apple, and, the third, a toast/* 

It is worthy of remark, that a much earlier Lord Mayor had been 
associated with this parish, namely, Sir William, son of Geoffrey 
de Waldeme,of Waldeme, who held the chief magistracy of the 
city in 1412 and 1422. The first of the Offleys who possessed 
Possingworth was probably Humphrey Offley, who died in 1643. 
His son Thomas built, or rebuilt, Possingworth House, which 
bears date 1657, and the initials T. O. Subsequently the estate 
passed through Fuller, Apsley, Dalrymple, and Thomas' (or Tre- 
heme) to the present owner. A considerable portion of the 
mansion still remains, and is figured in vol. xiii. of " Sussex Ar- 
chaeological Collections," p. 80. Tanners, or Tanhouse, was 
another mansion in the parish, which passed through the Syd- 
neys and Sackvilles to the family of Puller, ancestors of the 
Fullers of Eosehill, in Brightling, great Sussex iron-masters. 
The present house was built by Samuel Fuller, in the first half 
of the seventeenth century. It was originally a mansion of con- 
siderable dimensions, but now exists as a farm-house. The 
Fullers appear to have been a London family who settled in 
Sussex in the sixteenth century, and are now represented by 
FuUer-Meyrick, Esq. They were successively of Uckfield, Wal- 
dron, and Brightling. Horeham gave name to the family of De 
Horeham, in or before the fourteenth century. Later it belonged 
to the Walshes, whose heiress married Thomas Dyke, Esq., in 
the early part of the seventeenth century. Mr. Dyke probably 
built Horeham, a great mansion on an older site, and his des- 
cendant was created a baronet in 1676, as Sir Thomas Dyke, of 
Horeham. The greater part of the mansion has been pulled 
down, and the remains are now a farm-house. A level tract of 
land where the parishes of Waldron, Chiddingly, and Hellingly 
meet, is called Horeham Flat. 

[S. A. C. Coal found here, ii. 211. Ironworks, ii, 219. iii, 241, 245. 
xviii, 15. Possingworth, viii, 152. xiii, 92. xvi, 292. xix, 53. Bronze 
Celts, ix, 366. Church, mansions, and manors (Ley), xiii, 80. xx, 233. 
Pelham, xiii, 82. Ralph and Sybilla de Icklesham, Haringots, Denes, 
Sackvilles, xiii, 84. Offley family, xiii, 93. xvi, 292. De Waldern, xiii, 92. 
Fullers of Tanners, xiii, 94. xiv, 237. Selwyn of, xiii, 96. Bonnicks of, 
xiii, 98. De Horeham apd Walsh, xiii, 100. Dyke family, xiii, 101. xvi, 
292. xviii, 197. Legend of church, xiii, 226. Tooths of, xiv, 254. Dur- 
rants of, xvi, 48. Bells, xvi, 227. Horeham Place, xvi, 292. xviii, 197. 
Nuremburgtokens, xvii, 253. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 25. Worked flints, 
xix, 53. Bad roads, xix, 162. Civil marriages at Glynde, xix, 202.] 



225 
WARBLETOX. 

Domesday, Warhorgetone ; a parisli in the Hundred of Hawkesborough ; 
Rape of Hastings ; distant about seven miles north from Hailsham ; 
Post-town, Hawkhurst. Union, Hailsham. Population in 1811, 966; 
in 1861, 1,431. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £663 ; Patron and 
Incumbent, Rev. George Edward Haviland, M.A., of St. John's 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1558. Acre- 
age, 5,763. Seats, Stonehouse, J. Roberts Dunn, Esq. ; Markly, 
George Darby, Esq. 

This is in many respects an interesting parish. Its surface 
is agreeably nndulated with well-wooded slopes, while the shel- 
tered portions possess many hop-gardens. There are several 
rivnlets tributary to the Cuckmere, and some ferruginous springs. 
In the days of the Sussex ironworks there were several estab- 
lishments in this parish for that manufacture. Among the 
iron-masters was Richard Woodman, a native of Buxted, but a 
resident at Warbleton, where he carried, on extensive works ; he 
was burnt, together with nine other Protestants, at Lewes, in 
1557. (See " Worthies of Sussex," p. 138.) His house on the 
south side of the church still exists, as also the lane down which 
he ran when pursued by his persecutors. The church tower is 
said to have been the place of his temporary incarceration. 

Warbleton was rather remarkable before the Reformation for 
its religious establishments, for besides the church there were 
a chantry and a deanery (probably connected with the College 
of Hastings), and a priory. 

The Priory of Warbleton, originally established at Hastings 
by Sir Walter Bricet, having been destroyed by the inroads of 
the sea, Sir John Pelham refounded the establishment in this 
parish in the time of Henry IV., and it was called the New 
Priory of the Blessed Trinity of Hastings, though Warbleton is 
upwards of ten miles from that town. It was a small establish- 
ment, and its revenues arose from several parishes in East 
Sussex, and its present relics are limited to the foundations of 
its church, and an antique farm-house, the property of George 
Darby, Esq., of Markly. There is also a stable with the re- 
mains of a pointed arched doorway. Of the history of this new 
and short-lived establishment very little is known ; but at the 
dissolution of the smaller priories it shared the fate of all such 
houses.* In 1537 the premises were granted to John Baker, 
Esq., and in 37th Henry VIII. to John Caryll, Esq. Subse- 
quently the estate became the property of the family of Roberts, 
from whom it descended to that of Lade, Baronets, who resided 

♦ The establishment appears to have consisted of three canons and one novice. 
VOL. II. Q 



226 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

here, and whose descendant, the late Mr Thomas Lade, sold it 
to John Darby, Esq. In one of the apartments of the old house 
are preserved two ancient skulls, which are connected with a 
superstitious legend, and in another room there are stains, said 
to be of human blood, which cannot be effaced. According to 
the popular belief it is unlucky to remove the skulls from the 
habitation, though a profane hand not many years ago placed 
one of them in a neighbouring tree, where it remained a whole 
summer, and a bird's nest was buUt in it. The awfal sounds 
which are heard at night time proceed from a colony of owls 
which have established themselves in the old building. Tor 
historical and archaeological notes respecting this priory I must 
refer the reader to the paper of the Rev. E. Turner, in the " Sussers 
Collections,'' Vol. xiii. At Bucksteep, formerly a mansion, but 
now a farm-house, there was a chapel supposed to have been 
attached to Battle Abbey. 

BusHLAKE Gbeen is a pleasant hamlet in this parish, and con- 
tains the principal part of the population. Close by are Stone 
House, the seat of J. E. Dunn, Esq., a fabric of considerable 
antiquity, once the abode of the Roberts family ; also Markly, 
the seat of George Darby, Esq., formerly M.P. for Sussex. 
Cralle, another house in the parish, anciently belonged to a 
family of the same name, whose heiress in the 14th century 
conveyed it to the ancient family of Cheney. Iwood was once 
the principal mansion of the family of De Warbleton. It be- 
longed in 1st Richard HI. to Margery WarbUton, and subse- 
quently passed to the family of Fynes, Lords Dacre, then to the 
Piers, Pelham, and StoUyon families. The house, which com- 
mands most picturesque scenery, was formerly very large, but 
in 1722, being in a ruinous condition, it was partly pulled down 
and reduced to the state of a farm-house. The old gateway 
was built in 1591. 

In 1795 the old house was taken down and replaced by a 
commodious farm-house. One of the family of Stollyon sold 
the estate before 1616 to Henry Smith, Esq. ("Dog Smith"), 
to whose benevolent charity it now belongs. According to 
tradition Iiyood was once occupied by a notorious robber, who 
constructed a secret chamber, to which the only ingress was the 
chimney. Stollyons, another ancient property in this parish, 
and Heathfield derived its name from the family just mentioned. 
In the 17th century it belonged to the ancient Kent and Sussex 
family of Haffenden, many of whom lie buried in Heathfield 
church. About 1624, John Markwick, who was a family con- 
nection of the Haffendens, was attainted of felony, and so lost 
the estate. On this property grows the rare plant Phyteuma 
spicatum^ supposed to be unique in England in ite wild state. 



WARBLETON. 227 

Concerning the manor of Warbleton we have very few particu- 
lars ; it is mentioned in Domesday as having been held of the Earl 
of Moreton by the Countess Goda. In Saxon times it was worth 
40s., and after the Conquest 20s. How it came into the hands 
of the De Warbletons is unknown. The village near the church 
contains a few houses of antique appearance. The way-side 
inn has for its sign a halbert thrust into a tun of ale, and bears 
the punning name of the " War Bill in Ton.^' 

The church, which stands on a pleasing elevation, is dedicated 
to St. Mary, and consists of chancel, nave, north aisle, and 
west tower. There are traces of Early English, Decorated, and 
Perpendicular work. At the east end of the aisle is a chantry 
chapel. In the windows there are or have been arms of the 
families of Pelham, Lewknor, De Warbleton, De Iwood, Cralle, 
and Cheney. In the north aisle is a very elaborate monument 
of various-coloured marbles and a finely executed bust to the 
memory of Sir John Lade, five times M.P. for Southwark, a 
native of this parish, who died in 1740. On a slab of marble 
is a brass commemorating HJftilUam ^lt^tWt% Dean of the 
College of Hastings, of the date of 1436. It exhibits a fuU 
length portrait of the Dean, on the edges of whose robes is an 
extract from the book of Job, " Credo quod Eedemptor mens 
vivit,'' and the beautiful crocketed canopy is surmounted by a 
finial composed of a pelican feeding her young with her blood, 
and a scroll with the words " Sic Christus dilexit nos.^* The 
surrounding legend (now partially destroyed) I have thus ren- 
dered : — 



" Leaving the fleeting honours of this world to die, 
Beneath this marble hard doth William Prestwick lie; 
A constant, patient, humble man, devout, urbane, 
And just to all. The poor a mighty loss sustain. 
Clergy will weep, and common people deeply mourn. 
So great a father from his much-loved College torn ;- 
This rule of holy life, the weakest men's defence, 
This man of counsels wise, alasl is hurried hence; 
His outstretched corse lies buried here; his vital breath 
November's earliest-coming morn exchanged for death, 
When fourteen hundred years their course had gone about, 
And three times twelve. May Christ his every sin blot out— Amen." 

The father and mother of the Dean (John and Joan Prest- 
wick) are commemorated by a small brass plate, which I dis- 
covered in a heap of rubbish many years since. There are 
other monuments and inscriptions for the families of Eoberts of 
Warbleton Priory, Harcourt, Beeston, &c. Outside of the south 
wall is a rounded arch, which doubtless covers a tomb, an object 
of rare occurrence. The tower contains five beUs. The church 

Q 2 



228 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

stands partly within a Boman earthwork, the outlines of which 
are clearly traceable. 

[8. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 219. iii. 241, 245. xviii, 15. Prestwick's 
brass, ii, 307. xiii, 153. xvii, 167. Pelh am family, xiii, 156. Re-founders 
of Hastings Priory at Warbleton, xiii, 157. xv, 155. xvi, 295. xvii, 55. 
Roberts family, xvi, 46. xx, 60. Quakers at, xvi, 73, 118. Jack Cade's 
insurrection, xviii, 25, 27. Woodman's door, xvii, 164. Ancient chest in 
church, xvii, 167. Roman earthwork, xvii, 168. Cralle of Cralle, xix, 
179. Cheney family, ibid.'] 



WARMINGHUKST. 



A parish in the Hundred of East Easwrith ; Rape of Bramber ; dis- 
tant five miles north-east of Steyning, its Railway station ; Post- 
town, Hurst- Pierpoint. Union, Tbakeham. Population in 1811, 
91; in 1861, 106. Benefice, a Donative, valued at £50; Patron, 
the Duke of Norfolk ; Incumbent, Rev. Robert Blakiston, M.A., of 
Queen's College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1714. 
Acreage, 1,051. 

This small parish, occasionally written Worminghurst, 
pertains principally to the settled estate of the Duke of Norfolk, 
In early times the manor belonged to the Abbey of Fecamp in 
Normandy, and the abbot had free-warren for his reeve, who 
resided here, and had a park in 39th Henry III., as also a 
chaplain, whose fee was 100s. in the reign of Edward II. On 
the dissolution of the alien priories, the property was conferred 
on the recently-founded monastery of Sion, in Middlesex. In 
1448 it was valued at £15 12s. lOd. per annum, and a roll of 
that date gives minute details of the conveyance of timber and 
Horsham stone used in the building of Sion monastery. It re- 
quired two wagons, sixteen ojen, and six men to convey eight 
oak trees from Warminghurst to Kingston in eight days ! In 
1540 the lands were transferred to Edward SheUey, Esq., for 
£391 10s. In the conveyance there is mention of vineyards. 
Mr. Shelley died in October, 1554. He had bequeathed the 
" remainder" to the heirs male of John Shelley, of Michelgrove, 
but other claimants coming forward a great law-suit, called the 
" Shelley case" followed. In that case Queen Elizabeth took 
great personal interest. It was ultimately decided in favour of 
Henry Shelley, Esq., the grandson, who held it tiU 1618, when 
a part of it was aliened to the Apsleys. Subsequently it be- 
longed to Sir Thomas Haselrige and Sir Thomas Williamson, 
whose wives were daughters of Sir John Butler, who sold it to 
Henry Bigland, Esq., by whom it was re-sold in 1676 to William 
Penn, Esq., the celebrated Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania. 



WARNHAM. 229 

That eminent man resided here for some years. In 1702 Penn 
sold the estate to James Butler, Esq., and it vested in his 
descendants till 1789, when it was conveyed by marriage to the 
family of Clough. In voL xiv. of the " Sussex Collections" 
there is a remarkable story of an apparition of John Butler, 
Esq., in 1766, when he was M.P. for Sussex. His shade appeared 
to Miss Frances Browne, his sister-in-law, and to his steward. 
He was absent from Warminghurst at the time, but he died at 
the very moment at which these manifestations occurred. 

There is a small manor or farm, called Bowfolds, which belonged 
in 1622 to the Shelleys ; subsequently to several other families. 
The estate is of little importance. At the beginning of the 
eighteenth century James Butler, Esq., built a large brick man- 
sion, and converted a great portion of the parish into a deer park. 
Since the property has come into the hands of the Duke of Nor- 
folk, the house has been pulled down, the lake dried up, the 
timber feUed, and the park converted into a farm. Among the 
timber was a magniticent chesnut tree, which was reckoned, 
from the rings of its wood, to be 270 years old. 

The church (Holy Sepulchre ?) consists of a single pace or nave. 
It has Early English features, but the east window is of the 
Decorated style, and the building has been much patched. There 
is a brass to the memory of (lEtltoart SS^Ueg, Esq., sometime one 
of the Masters of the Household to Henry VIII., Edward VI., 
and Queen Mary, and Joan his wife, who, with their seven sons 
and three daughters, are duly represented. The date is 1654. 
Other monumental records comprise the names of Benet, Caesar, 
Butler, Bloimt, Morgan, Clough, Dolben, Eiches, Devall, Bovey, 
Leeves, Oldham, f enwicke, &c. The church contains only one 
bell. 

[S. A. C. Apsley family, v, 54, 56, in CivilWars, 1643. William Penn, 
V, 67. XX, 36. Possessions of F6camp Abbey, x, 122. Shelley family, x, 
127. xvi, 49. Butler family, xiv, 133. xvii, 222. Battle Abbey, lands in, 
and exchange of 400 bushels of salt and 10 casks of wine with De Braose, 
xvii, 29. Bridger family, xvii, 89. Imprisonment of a bondwoman, xvii, 
120. Park, xvii, 121. Cade's adherents, xviii, 24.] 



WARNHAM. 



A parish in the Hundred of Singlecross ; Rape of Bramber ; distant three 
miles north from Horsham, its Post-town ; it has a Railway- station 
on the Mid-Sussex line. Union, Horsham. Population in 1811; 
774 ; in 1861, 1,006. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £314 18s. 5d., 
Patrons, Dean and Chapter of Canterbury ; Incumbent, Rev. James 
Wood, M.A., of Christ Church, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish 
Register, 1558. Acreage, 4,920. Chief Landowners, Rev. J. Broad- 
wood, Mrs. Bamett, Sir Percy F. Shelley, — Henderson, Esq., D. 



230 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

T. Lucas, Esq., and Mrs. Wood. Seats, Warnham Court, C. T. 
Lucas, Esq. ; Field Place, William Lmes, Eisq. ; Warnham Lodge, 
W. N. Franklyn, Esq. 

This parish, which extends to the frontiers of Surrey, has 
long been of considerable importance. There appears to be no 
mention of it in Domesday. The manor was sometimes called 
Denne. It was held in 1272 by William de Saye. In 1319 it 
belonged to Sir John Doyley, and in 1375 to Sir Thomas Lewk- 
nor, whose grand-daughter carried it by marriage to John Bart- 
telot, of Stopham, Esq., who died in 1473. Subsequently it passed 
to the families of Cooper, Upton, Leland, and Commerell. Denne, 
with its demesnes, was severed from the manor in 1650, and de- 
vised to Christopher Coles, of Pulborough, who had married one 
of the daughters of Walter Barttelot, of Stopham. They were, 
in 1695, the property of John Evershed, Esq., of Eversheds in 
Surrey, and subsequently passed into the hands of Young, Lux- 
ford, Collier, Murray, Milward, Lanham, Charles, Duke of 
Norfolk, and Broadwood. Field Place, in the southern part 
of the parish, was the estate, for several centuries, of the 
family of Michell, who originated at Horsham, and possessed 
Staramerham, in that parish. The last of the family resident 
here left a daughter and heiress, who was wife of Sir Bysshe 
Shelley, Bart. Warnham Pond is an extensive sheet of water, 
and here it was that Percy Bysshe Shelley, our great Sussex 
poet, used to amuse himself, in his childhood, with his diminu- 
tive boat. Near it stood a mansion of the Caryll family, who 
resided here in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Warn- 
ham Court, a handsome structure in the Elizabethan style, com- 
manding very extensive views, and forming a very ornamental 
feature in the landscape, was built some years since by Henry 
Tredcroft, Esq. In 1331 John de Upperton settled on Stephen 
de Slaughterford a parcel of land at the rent of a barbed arrow. 
This shows the antiquity of the name of Upperton in Sussex. 

The impropriation was granted to the neighbouring nunnery 
of Rusper by William de Braose. On the dissolution of that 
convent it was granted to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, 
who leased it for a certain term, and it is now held by the 
Shelley family. " The church,'^ says Cartwright, " exhibits a 
variety of style. It consists of a nave and south aisle under a 
sloping roof. There are three chancels. That on the north, 
enclosed by a Gothic screen, formerly belonged to the Carylls ; 
that on the south to the Michells, of Field Place ;* and that in 

♦ Of the family of Myohell or Michell, Mr. Gihbon, Richmond Herald, observes in 
Vol. xii. of the " Sussex Collections," that those of Stammerham, Horsham, and Am- 
berley, were " all branches of one stem." The name still prevails in these localities, 
and Mr. Gibbon adds : *' I have not any hesitation in saying that I could, with very 
little trouble, show the descent from our Visitation of Sussex in 1634, of a vast 
number of the name who at present have little idea of their claims to coat armour." 



WARTLING. 231 

the middle to the impropriation." They all belong at present, 
I beliere, to the SheUey family. The building is dedicated to 
St. Mary. There is a well-preserved monument to Sir John 
Caryll, knight, who died in 1613, and his wife Maria. It has 
effigies of the knight and his lady, and of their four sons and 
five daughters. Among other names and families commemo- 
rated are those of Amherst, Yates, Shelley, Michell, Shuckford, 
Napper, Bax, and Rapley. " In the pavement of the south aisle 
is the site of an altar-tomb, with three shields with quatrefoils, 
of the time of Edward I." (Cartwright.) In 1518, there was a 
chantry in this church, dedicated to St. Margaret. In the last 
century Wamham was celebrated for its cricketers, and a leader 
in that sport, who kept an inn, had painted on his sign : — 

" I, John Charman, 
Can beat half an *em, 
With e'er along-legged man in Waroham." 

[S. A. C. Borer family, xi, 81. Church of, xii, 110. Michell family, xii, 
110. Caryll, xiii, 126. xix, 19. Weston, xvi, 49. Rapley, ibidj 50. Bells, 
xyi, 228. ICingsfold, xyi, 256. Middleton family, xix, 108. Ironworks, 
xviii, 15.] 



WARTLING. 

Domesday, Wirlingea; vulgo, Watlin; a parish in the Hundred- of Foxearle; 
Eape of Hastings; distant ^yq miles from Pevensey station. Post- 
town, Hawkhurst. Union, Hailsham. Population in 1811, 874 ; in 
1861, 914. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £441 ; Patron, John Gra- 
ham, Esq. ; Incumbent, Key. Edward Curteis Graham, B. A. Date of 
earliest Parish Register, 1539. Acreage, 4,736. Chief Landowner, 
Herbert Mascall Curteis, Esq., of Windmill Hill. 

This parish, with its hamlet of Boreham, possesses an 
agreeable variety of surface, rising from the level of Pevensey 
marsh to the pleasant eminence of Windmill Hill. In Domes- 
day, the manor is said to be held by William, of the Earl of Eu. 
Temp. Henry III., it belonged to William de St. Leger. In 
1327, Sir Thomas Hoo, then lord, obtained for it a weekly 
market on Tuesday, and a fair at Magdalen-tide. In 33rd 
Henry VL, Thomas Lord Hoo was lord, and in his family it 
remained until their extinction. In later times, it was vested 
successively in Gage, Sydney, Montague, Sackville, and Craven. 
Lord Craven, who built a house at Boreham, sold the manor, 
in 1766, to John, Earl of Ashburnham. 

Windmill Hill, on which formerly stood a beacon, was long 
the residence of the family of Luxford. It afterwards belonged 
to Comyns and Pigou. William Pigou, Esq., erected the pre- 



232 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

sent mansion on the old site. It was purchased of him by 
Edward Jeremiah Curteis, long M.P. for the county ("Worthies 
of Sussex," p. 233), to whose grandson it now belongs. Old Court, 
the moat of which remains, was the estate of the family of 
Fynes, before their removal to the adjacent parish of Hurst- 
Monceux, where afterwards they bmlt their stately castle. It 
was near the church. At Foul- mile, in this parish. Speed's map 
of Sussex indicates a chapel, of the history of which nothing is 
known. For Bobeham, see that article. 

The church (St. Mary Magdalen) was formerly prebendal, and 
attached to the college of St. Mary-in-the-Castle, of Hastings. 
The building, which stands at Wartling Hill, rather remote 
from the general population of the parish, consists of a nave 
with aisles and a chancel. The south aisle, or rather chapel, 
has on the outside a Pelham Buckle, and a Catherine wheel, 
implying, perhaps, its erection by Catherine, daughter of Sir 
John Pelham, Constable of Pevensey, temp, Henry VI. There 
are inscriptions for the families of Luxford, Curteis, and Inglis. 
The mural monument by Bacon to Caroline, wife of Herbert 
Barrett Curteis, Esq., mother of the present Herbert MascaU 
Curteis, Esq., is a fine work of art. 

[S. A. C. Salt-pans, v, 159. xiii, 135. Pelham Buckle, &c., iii, 227. 
Will. '* called of the water" a serf, given to Otbam Abbey, v, 160. Luxford, 
arms of, vi, 77. Chapel and prebend to Hastings College, xiii, 134, 144. 
Porters of, xiii, 308. Bell, xvi, 228. Tithes to Battle Abbey, xvii, 55. Jack 
Cade's insurrection, xviii, 25 (mis-spelt Worthyng), 27, 28. Manor, xix, 
111. Lords of, xix. 111. Carew, Gage, Craven, Ashburnham, xix, 110, 111. 
Colbrond, xviii, 27 and 40. Proof of age of William Fiennes, 1378 (-^s- 
placed under Worthing), xii, 38.] 



WASHINGTON. 



Domesday, Waaingetane ; a parish in the Hundred of Steyning ; Rape of 
Bramber ; distant five miles north-west from Steyning station. Post- 
town, Hurst-Pierpoint. Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 619 ; 
in 1861 , 908. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £200, in the patronage 
of Magdalen College, Oxford; Incumbent, Rev. John Walker 
Knight, M.A., of that College. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1558. Acreage, 3,162, though estimated by Cartwright at only 1,889. 
Chief Landowners^ Major C. F. Sandham, the Duke of Norfolk, Sir 
Charles Goring, Bart., and the Rev. John Goring. Seats^ Rowdell, 
Major Sandham ; and Highden, Sir Charles Goring, Bart. 

Washington is Saxon— Wasa-inga-tiin, '* the settlement of 
thesonsofWasa." (See "PatronymicaBritannica.") The manor 
at the time of Domesday was more extensive than at present, 
and included the hide of land on which stood Bramber Castle. 



WASHINGTON. 233 

It was, therefore, part of the barony of Bramber, held by William 
de Braose. Before the Conquest, Earl Guerd (Gurth, the brother 
of Harold) was owner of the principal part, but there were sev- 
eral other proprietors ; and at the time of the great Survey, 
the whole manor was farmed for the large sum of £100. The 
five salt-pans mentioned in the record must have been in the 
detached portion of the manor, on the Adur. From the De 
Braoses it passed to the Mowbrays, and continued, with some 
interruptions, in the Dukes of Norfolk. Early in the reign of 
Elizabeth, it belonged to the Carylls, and was by them 
held until 1765, since which time it has passed, like Muntham, 
through the Franklands, to the present owner. Chancton 
manor gave name to a family in the thirteenth century ; and, 
after many changes, ^/ssociated with the names of De Guilde- 
ford, Le Mareschal, Arundel, Browne, Shirley, Edsaw, Butler, 
and Clough, it became, in 1805, part of the settled estate of the 
Dukedom of Norfolk, In December, 1866, a remarkable dis- 
covery of Saxon coins took place on Chancton farm. It con- 
sisted of about 3,000 pennies of the reigns of Edward the 
Confessor and Harold II., which must have been deposited 
immediately before the Battle of Hastings, probably by a tenant 
of Guerd, who fell in that dire conflict. The vessel which had 
contained them was turned up by the plough, and they were so 
scattered broadcast, that they were regarded by the peasantry 
as pieces of old tin, and sold, principally to the village inn- 
keeper, for the purchase of ale. In one instance half a pint of 
them was offered for a quart of " double X !" At length, 
public attention was called to the " find,^' and various claims 
were put in. Ultimately the greater portion of them was deli- 
vered over to the Solicitor of the Treasury. The coins were of 
upwards of fifty mints, including Chichester, Hastings, Lewes, 
and Steyning. A long-enduring tradition of treasure concealed 
in the place existed, and the spot had always been haunted by 
a Ghost, in the form of an ancient white-bearded man, who 
appeared to be in search of something. This is remarkable, 
and proves that the " uncertain voice of tradition " is not al- 
ways to be disregarded. It is quite within the regions of pro- 
bability that the depositor of this hoard was one of the victims 
of the Norman invasion. 

Near the church is Rowdell, which from 10th Henry Vill. 
belonged to the old Sussex family of Byne, and remained in it 
for five generations. The fine old Jacobean mansion has been 
replaced, within the present century, by a much less picturesque 
building. The proprietors since the Bynes have been Caryll, 
Butler, Goring, and Burrell. In 1825, it was purchased by 
Major Sandham. On the south side of the parish is Highden, 



234 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

owned in the fourteenth century by the family of De Hiden. 
Henry Goring, Esq., purchased it in 1647. His son. Sir Henry 
Goring, Bart., built the present house, and his descendant, Sir 
Charles Goring, Bart., is ngw possessor. 

The church (St. Mary) had Norman features, but falling to 
decay, it was rebuilt in 1866, at the cost of about £2,000. The 
tower, of the time of Henry VII., has been retained. The in- 
scriptions commemorate members of the families of Byne,Fortrie, 
Butler, Waldegrave, Hammond, G<)ring, &c. 

On an elevated point of the South Downs, in this parish, is a 
well-known circular earthwork of Celtic origin, now planted 
round with trees, and known as Chanctonbury King. It is one 
of the most commanding heights in the county, and said to be 
814 feet above the level of the sea. It is visible jfrom the east, 
west, and north, at great distances. Over this part of the 
Downs, and in this parish, runs one of the numerous steep roads 
known as " Bostalls,'' a word scarcely heard out of Sussex, but 
of good Saxon meaning, for a hill path. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermills, v, 272. Tithes to Sele Priory, x, 115. 
Chanctonbury, a monk murdered at, xii, 28. Church, xii, 111. Byne family, 
ibid. Lands to Shulbred Priory, xiii, 46. Family of Edsaw, xvi, 49. Goring 
of, xvi, 49. xvii, 82. Bells, xvi, 141, 228. Adur River, xvi, 251. Highden, 
xvii, 82. Jack Cade's adherents, xiii, 24. Rowdell, xviii, 107. Flight of 
Charles XL, xviii, 121. Saxon coins found here, xix, 189. xx, 288. The 
Washington Ghost, XX, 213.] 



WESTBOURNE. 



Domesday, Borne ; a parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of 
Chichester ; distant seven miles from Chichester ; Post-town, Ems- 
worth ; Railway station, Emsworth, distant about one mile. Union, 
Westboume. Population in 1811, 1,702; in 1861, 2,165. Benefice, 
a Rectory and Vicarage, valued at £450 ; Patron and Incumbent, 
Rev. J. Hanson Sperling, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. Date 
ofearliest Parish Register, 1550. Acreage, 6,000. Chief Landowners, 
Earl of Dartmouth, Mrs. Dixon, Lord Leconfield, C. Dorrien, Esq., 
and Messrs. Hopkin, Wyatt, Quick, Osmond, &c. 

This important parish comprises the hamlets or villages of 
Aldsworth, Nutbonrne, Prinsted, Woodmancote, The Hermi- 
tage, and several other minor places. The soil varies from chalk 
on the north to loam and alluvium on the south. The land is 
generally highly cultivated and very productive. The main 
village was formerly a trading town of some importance. It 
is pleasantly situated near the little river Ems, and lies near 
Emsworth, which takes its name from that river. The parish 



WESTBOURNE. 235 

is beautifully wooded, and the sea separates it from Thomey 
Island. 

The manor of Borne is described in Domesday as lying in the 
hundred of " Ghidenetroi/' a designation now obsolete. It had 
belonged to Earl Godwin, but was now a part of the territory of 
the Earl Roger de Montgomeri. It had been rated at 30 hides, but 
was now assessed at only 12. There were seven ministri, four 
mills, a fishery, and a wood. Henry Fitz-Alan, the last Earl of 
Arundel of that name, died seised of it, and it then devolved 
on Jane, one of his co-heiresses, who married John, Lord Lumley. 
In subsequent years it passed with the Stansted estate to the 
Rev. Lewis Way, and later to C. Scrase Dicldns, Esq. 

The church (St. John the Baptist), which is altogether one of 
the most interesting ecclesiastical buildings in West Sussex, is 
approached from the north by a venerable avenue of yew trees, 
said to have been planted in 1630 by Lord Maltravers. The 
edifice was twice altered by two of the Earls of Arundel and 
formerly contained a chapel dedicated to All Souls. There are 
vestiges of Norman architecture, and Transitional work, but the 
church has been much altered and patched by the introduction 
of the Perpendicular style. In the chancel is a beautiful 
piscina, probably of the fifteenth century, which is engraved in 
" Hussey's Churches." In 1770, George, Earl of HaKfax, lord of 
the manor, made some benefactions to the building, including a 
spire, which Horsfield characterizes as of Chinese architecture ! 
This, however, has been altered, and it is now a great ornament 
to the landscape. In 1782 the church consisted of nave, chancel, 
and two aisles. In the years 1863 and 1865 much true restoration 
was effected. There are six bells, and some painted glass, 
chiefly modem. Besides one or two ancient monumental slabs, 
there are many monuments and inscriptions to the families of 
Barwell, D'Oyley, Bensley, Montague, Eliot, Tatersall, Farley, 
Needham, Campbell, Oldfield, Lumley, Ward, Roberts, Browne, 
Pryme, Sedgwick, Cathcart,Walleston,lTewland,Mundy,Wallis, 
Williams, Lyne, Ashbumham, Peake, Allen, &c. 

The hamlets of Peinsted, Nutbourne, and The Hesmitage 
each anciently possessed a chapel ; but few remains of them now 
exist. The origin of the last-named building was due to " Simon 
Cotes of Westbome, Ermyt,'^ who in his will, dated 1527, tells 
us that he had built upon his own land a house and a chapel, 
which he dedicated to St. Anthony. These, with other build- 
ings, bridges, and highways, he bequeathed to William, Earl of 
Arundel, E.G., with a view to the maintenance of a Hermit for 
ever. This, I think, is among the latest of Hermitages in Eng- 
land. Simon was perhaps not a -hermit at all, except that he 
lived a religious life, in his simple habitation, and worshipped 



236 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

in his little sacellura. Mr. Longcroft, in his " Valley of the 
Ems," thinks he was simply one of those benevolent persons 
who in earlier times made it a duty and a pleasure to provide 
for the safety of wayfarers at dangerous fords, such as that of 
the Ems must then have been. 

[S. A. C. Domesday watermills, v, 272. Calcetohad lands in, xi, 103. 
Dutelor, John of, ihid, Wodemancote, xi, 104. Nutboume chapel, xii, 
69. Matthew de Mount Martin, xiii, 108. Bells of, xvi, 228. Kiver Ems, 
xvi, 266. Lord Liimley, xix, 102, 103. Since this volume was in the 
hands of the Printer, the learned and excellent rector, has published in 
vol. xxii. of the " Sussex Collections " a ** Parochial History of West- 
bourne."] 



WEST BURTON, 
A hamlet of Bury, which see. 



WESTFIELD. 



Domesday, Weatewelle ; vulgo, Wessvull ; a well-wooded and beautifully 
undulated parish in the Hundred of Baldslow ; Rape of Hastings ; 
distant five miles east from Battle, its Post-town and Railway sta- 
tion. Union, Battle. Population in 1811, 707 ; in 1861, 900. Bene- 
fice, a Vicarage, valued at £372 ; Patron, the Bishop of Chichester ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Mark Henry Vernon, M. A., of Trinity College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1552. Acreage, 4,272. 
Chief Landowners, Charles Hay Frewen, Esq., R. B. and B. S. Fol- 
lett, Esqrs., and B. H. Brabazon, Esq. Seats, Oaklands, B. Hercules 
Brabazon, Esq., and Major B. Harvey Combe ; and Westfield House, 
— Follett, Esq. 

Before the Conquest the manor was held by Wenestan of 
Edward the Confessor ; afterwards one Wibert held it of the Earl 
of Eu. It is a snb-infendation of Warbleton. Westfield manor- 
house, now a farm-house, near the church, was for several gene- 
rations the property and seat of the family of Peirs, who had 
been seated at Goteley in Northiam, as Perez or Perys, from 
16th Henry VI., and afterwards at Ewhurst, Warbleton, Cow- 
fold, &c. Thomas Peirs of this family resided at Stonepits, in 
Seale, co. Kent, and was created a Baronet in 1663. His des- 
cendant. Sir George Peirs, sold Westfield, and it has since 
passed by successive transfers to the families of Allen, Craggs, 
Lade, Lutman, and Lamb, of Eye. Sir Eichard Sackville 
possessed a manor in this parish in 1565. On the north side of 
the parish is Crowham, presumed to be identical with the Cro- 
teslei of Domesday, and the largest manor in the parish. Eobert 



WEST-GRINSTEAD. 237 

Crowham, the last Prior of Lewes, 1537, is supposed to have 
taken his name from this place. In the earlier part of the 
seventeenth century it belonged to the Cheyneys ; afterwards to 
the Farndens of Sedlescombe ; and subsequently- by various 
modes of transfer to the Snow, Mosley, and Smith families. 
Lankhurst manor, in the south-east part of Westfield, belonged 
to the Dynes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when 
it passed by an heiress to the family of Brisco, and is now held 
jure uxoris by C. H. Frewen, Esq., M.P. Spray's Bridge, an estate 
near the northern boundary of the parish, belonged to a family 
of that name, the last of whom, Adrian Spray, died early in the 
eighteenth century. Tliis is altogether an interesting parish, 
and deserves more attention than it has hitherto received. Iron- 
works were formerly carried on here. 

The church (St. John the Baptist), which was restored in 
1862, consists of nave, aisle, and chancel. Its original style was 
Early English, with little admixture of other styles. (Rickman.) 
At the west end is a shingled spire with three bells, one of 
which has an inscription in Lombardic characters, " Sit nomen 
Domini benedictum." There are monumental records for the 
names of Peirce, Weekes, Davis, &c. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 219. xviii, 16. Weekes family, xi, 82. xiv, 
115, 116, 229. Piers family, xiv, 102. Brede river, xv, 155. Bells, xvi, 
228. Tithes to Battle Abbey and ordeal by water, xvii, 24. William 
Westfield, abbot of Battle, xvii, 46. Cade's insurrection, xyiii, 25.] 



WEST-GRINSTEAD. 



A parish in the Hundred of its own name ; Rape of Bramber ; ' distant 
eight miles north from Steyning, and seven south from Horsham. 
Post-town, Horsham. Railway stations, Westgrinstead and Part- 
ridge Green. Union, Horsham. Population in 1811, 998 ; in 1861, 
1,403. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £1,120; Patron, Lord Lecon- 
field ; Incumbent, Rev. Thomas Wall Langshaw, B.A , of St. John's 
College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1556. Acreage, 
6,658. Chief Landowners^ Sir Percy Burrell, Bart., and Rev. John 
Goring. Seat, West-Grinstead Park. 

This parish consists chiefly of arable land, though there is 
a good proportion of meadow and wood. No less than 400 acres 
are occupied by thick hedgerows and copses, which add much 
beauty to the scenery. There is no specific mention of this place 
in Domesday. It was part of the large possessions of the De 
Braoses, Lords of Bramber, but seems to have been aliened in 
the middle of the 14th century. In 1417, John Halsham, and 
Philippa, his wife, held it by a feoffment of Richard Waneling, 



238 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

clerk, and others. The Halsham family, who originated at 
Hailsham, in Pevensey Rape, became of much importance here, 
and acquired the manors of Applesham, Notcham, and West 
Grinstead. At the death of John Halsham, in 1417, his eldest 
son, Bichard, was owner. His brother. Sir Hugh Halsham, 
succeeded, and made his will in 1441. John, the first-mentioned, 
appears to have married, first Philippa Michel, and, secondly, 
another Philippa, daughter of David Strabolgy, Earl of Athol. 
The latter had previously married Sir ftalph Percy, son of Henry, 
Earl of Northumberland, by whom she had no children ; by Sir 
John Halsham she had two sons, who died without issue, and a 
daughter, Joan, who married John Lewknor, Esq. Later, the 
manor fell to the Crown, and in 1st Edward VI., Thomas Sey- 
mour held it in fee-farm. On his attainder, it was granted to 
Thomas Shirley, a yoimger son of Ealph Shirley, of Wiston, 
from whom it descended to Thomas Shu-ley Esq. This gentle- 
man was an ultra-Calvinist, and in his wiU, made in 1606, he 
informs us that he has full assurance of resting " both soul and 
body in the highest comfortable heaven of heavens," among the 
elect saints of God, of which number " I assuredly account my- 
self to be one." On his death the manor and estate were sold 
to Sir Edward Caryll, whose grand-daughter, Philippa, wife of 
Henry, Lord Morley and Monteagle, was seised of them for life, 
with remainder to her son Thomas, Lord Morley. He joined 
with his mother in settling the property on Eichard Caryll, who 
died in 1701, when it descended to his grandson, John, This 
gentleman being a staunch Eoman Catholic, and an adherent of 
James 11., accompanied the fallen monarch to France, where he 
assumed, by grant of the Pretender, the title of Lord Caryll. 
By him the estate was sold in 1760 to Sir Merrik Burrell, Bart., 
who having added to it several farms, left it to Mrs. Isabella 
Wyatt, with remainder to Walter Burrell, Esq., second surviving 
son of his nephew. Sir William Burrell, Bart., and it is now the 
property of Sir Percy Burrell, Bart. The present mansion is on 
a rising ground, north-east of the old house. It was built in 
1806 in a semi-castellated Gothic, from designs by Nash, and 
has many fine apartments. A good deer-park, with excellent 
timber, surrounds the house. There are some good pictures by 
Vandyke, Lely, Jansen, Eeinagle, Lawrence, Opie, and by some 
of the best foreign masters. The house has an historical interest 
from the fact that Pope was a frequent visitor to the Carylls, 
and his " Eape of the Lock " had its origin from an incident 
which occurred here. On the east side of the Park is a Roman 
Catholic chapel, endowed by the Caryll family. Clothalls, near 
the church, as a manor, derived its name from the family of De 
ClothaU, who resided here in the 15th century. From them it 



WEST-GRINSTEAD. 239 

descended by heirship and marriage through the names of Wilt- 
shire, Bellingham, Boys, Lamb, and Ferris. Champions, on the 
north side of the parish, was the possession for nearly 200 years 
of the family of Ward. The manor of Bidlington belonged, as 
part of the Wiston state, to Sir Eobert Fagge, from whom it 
has descended to the Goring family. 

The fact of the benefice of West Grinstead being so well en- 
dowed, is attributable to the circumstance that very little of the 
land in the parish was granted away to monastic institutions. The 
parsonage house, of the date of James I., was added to by the late 
rector. Rev. W. Peckham Woodward, and with modem additions, 
now ranks amongst the highest order of parochial residences. 
Among the rectors no less than five of the Woodward family 
held the living in succession from 1696 until a recent period. 
The people of West Grinstead seem to have been a rather law- 
less race, and Mr. Cartwright, from ancient records, mentions 
several murders in the parish. The church (St. George) consists 
of two aisles of equal length, divided by an arcade. The original 
edifice was Early English, but later insertions have been made. 
The end of the north aisle is the chancel, and that of the south 
aisle was the chapel of St. Mary, the burial place of the lords of 
the manor. The tower stands in the middle of the south aisle, 
and has a shingled spire. There are six modem bells. Ih the 
manorial burying-place are two brasses. The first is to a lady, 
and much mutilated, and commemorates Philippa, wife of 
3Jof)n l^alJifiam, one of the daughters of David de Strabolgie, 
Earl of Athol, 1385. The other brass is now placed on a low 
altar tomb, and has canopied figures of an armed knight and 
lady. The surrounding riband has been torn off by sacrilegious 
hands; but a record of it shows that it was for Sbit |^Ug^ 
J^al^tam, Benight, and Joyce (Jocosa) his wife, 1421 and 1420. 
A banner above the canopy bears the quartered arms of Halsham 
and Strabolgie. This is a very interesting brass. There are 
tablets commemorating the families and names of Caryll, Beding- 
feld, Harrington, Burrell, and Raymond ; but the principal 
monument is by Rysbrach, which cost £2,000, to the memory of 
Captain William Powlett, of St. Leonard's Forest, who married 
Elizabeth, 4th daughter of John Ward, of Champions, in West- 
Grinstead, and his wife. This gallant captain is associated with 
the superstitious legend of the " headless ghost of St. Leonards." 
There is also a flat gravestone with a brass plate for ^tbtxt 
IttabetWfCroft, and Joan, his wife, 1520, and 1522. Other inscrip- 
tions commemorate the names of Woodward, Pellatt, Gale, 
White, Nash, Morgan, Gratwicke, &c. Altogether this is a most 
picturesque and interesting church. 

For Knepp Castle, see Shipley. 

[S. A. C. Bynes of, x, 118. Shirley of, xi, 49. Champions of, xi, 69. 



240 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Tregoz, xii, 39. Church, xii, 92, 106. Gratwickeof, xii, 106. St. Leonard's 
Forest legend and Pawletts, xiii, 222. Ward of, and Godsmark of,xvi, 49. 
Bells, xvi, 210. Park, xvi, 250. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 24. Shirley of, 
xix, 68. Marie in, (bid, Ashurst in, and Bridgers of, xix, 94. Carylls of,xix, 
112, 191. Parker and Young of, xix, 112, 113. Adlington, Protestant 
martjr, xx, 153.] 



WESTHAM. 



A Parish in the Hundred and Rape of Pevensey. It is the western ham- 
let of the ancient town of Pevensey, whence its name. It has a Railway 
station on the South Coast line. Union, Eastbourne. Population in 
1811, 584; in 1861, 850. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £550; 
Patron, the Duke of Devonshire ; Incumbent, Rev. Henry Thomas 
Grace, M. A., of Pembroke College. Date of earliest Parish Register, 
1571. Acreage, 4,718. Chief LandotmierSy the Duke of Devonshire, 
and Sir James Duke, Bart. 

That this parish was an ancient hamlet of the parish of 
Pevensey is the accepted tradition of the district, and, in fact, 
in ecclesiastical records, the church of St. Mary is described as 
a dependent benefice. The village consists chiefly of a main 
street, separated from the little town of Pevensey by the Roman 
castle. It contains two very picturesque little houses, with tim- 
bered fronts, one of which has, over the doorway, the Pelham 
badge of the Buckle. The church is large and handsome, con- 
sisting of a nave, a north aisle, a south chancel, and a massive 
west tower, formerly much higher than at present. There is a 
considerable mixture of styles from Norman to Perpendicular. 
The south wall has very small windows of the earlier date, very 
high up, and with glazing nearly flush with the external surface. 
The north aisle and the chancel are both Perpendicular, of about 
the time of Edward TV. In the large eastern windows still 
remain portions of well-executed painted glass, which would 
appear to have formerly represented Christ and the twelve 
apostles. In the building are memorials to the families of Pagge 
of Glynley, Thatcher of Priesthawes, Hammond and Meeres, 
besides traces of much older ones now partly destroyed. 

Priesthawes is popularly supposed to have been a religious foun- 
dation, though no documentary or architectural evidence can 
be adduced on the subject. It was long the seat of the ancient 
family of Thatcher, and there is an absurd tradition of a subter- 
raneous connection between it and Pevensey Castle (two miles 
distant) , such as we find all over England, in Normandy, and many 
other parts of the Continent, when a " religious '' site is not 
far remote from a fortress. Glynley — ^vulgo, "Greenlee" — 
was originally an Elizabethan mansion of considerable preten- 
sions, which belonged successively to the Meeres, Fagges, and 



WESTHAMPNETT. 241 

Peacheys. It had excellent grounds, fish-ponds, and groves, in 
the last century. Both these mansions exist simply as farm- 
houses. Near the village is an ancient almshouse of four tene- 
ments, known as the Hospital of St. John the Baptist, alias 
" Gorogltown,^' of uncertain foundation, and of equally uncer- 
tain etymology. Peeling is another house of considerable anti- 
quity ; as likewise is Hankham, now corrupted to Handcombe, 
which is frequently mentioned in the archives of Battle Abbey, 
though misprinted in Thorpe's Catalogue as Hae^kham. For 
Langnet, see that article. A very smaJl hamlet in the parish 
bears the singular name of Friday-street. 

[S. A. C. Marshall's benefaction to church, xviii, 51. Church, xiv, 99, 
265. Thatcher family of Priesthawes, xiv, 265. xviii, 38. xix, 194. Church 
bells, xvi, 228. Iron fire-back, xviii, 13. John Morley, gentilman, and two 
yeomen, adherents of Jack Cade, xviii, 27. Ordinances made at, xviii, 43. 
Richard Borde, brother of ** Merry Andrew " Borde, vi, 213. xix. 7. Mr. 
Bristowe's Visitation-book, 1634, xix, 194.] 



WESTHAMPNETT. 

Domesday, Antone (1) ; a parish in the Hundred of Box and Stockbridge ; 
Rape of Chichester ; distant 1^ mile from Chichester ,its Post-town and 
Railway station. Union, Westhampnett. Population in 1811, 444; in 
1861, 502. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £52 ; Patron, the Duke 
of Richmond, who is also chief landowner. Date of earliest Parish Re- 
gister, 1734. Acreage, 1,899. 

West Hampnett, so called in distinction from East Hamp- 
nett, a tithing in Boxgrove, is not mentioned in Domesday, but 
it was an early appendage to the lordship of Halnaker. Temp. 
Henry VI. Roberfc Tawke had good lands here. Joan, daughter 
and co-heiress of William Tawke, married in the sixteenth cen- 
tury, first, Eichard Ryman, of Appledram ; and secondly, Edward 
Barttelot, of Stopham. Anne, the other co-heiress, married 
Thomas Devenish, of Hellingly, who was partially resident here. 
The families of Chapman and Eose were afterwards influential. 
The large mansion. West Hampnett Place, now used as a union 
workhouse, was the seat of the Sackville family, and is supposed 
to have been built by Eichard Sackville, uncle of the Lord 
Treasurer Buckhurst. The back part of the house is Eliza- 
bethan ; the brick front towards the road is modem, having 
been rebuilt in the last century by Sir Hutchins Williams, Bart., 
husband of Judith Booth, celebrated for her talents and beauty. 
Their son. Sir W. Peere Williams, sold it to Charles, third Duke 
of Eichmond, who converted it to its present use. The parish 

VOL. II. E 



242 HlfeTORT OF SUSSEX. 

containB the vills of Woodcote, Weftterton, Waterbeech, and 
Maudlin. 

The church (St, Mary or St, Peter) consists of chancel, nave, 
and south aisle, in the Early English and later styles. In the 
aisle under the belfry is a small chantry chapel. In the mould- 
ings of the north door, both inside and out, are three shields of 
arms including Tawke ; three mullets in chief (Benion 9) ; and 
three hammers. In the chancel is a monument to the memory of 
Eichard Sackville, Esq., and Elizabeth Thatcher, his wife, with 
kneeling figures of both ; and of a son and daughter, together 
with the arms of Sackville and Thatcher, and a mutilated re- 
presentation of the Trinity. During some restorations in 1867, 
some very interesting, and much more ancient, features, which 
had been concealed by lath and plaster, were brought to light. 
The chancel arch was found to have been constructed of brick 
of Roman make, which had doubtless been brought hither from 
the ancient station of Eegnum (Chichester). Mr. Gordon Hills, 
the architect employed, believes that the chancel, at least, was 
constructed in Saxon times, and probably in the time of St. 
Wilfred, the founder of the South Saxon bishopric of Selsey. 
("Journal of British Archseological Association,*' 1867, p. 1.) Li 
the churchyard is a tombstone to the memory of the late Mr. 
W. H. Brooke, artist and F.S.A., well-known for his etchings 
in several volumes of the " Sussex Archaeological Collections," 
who was interred here by his friend, Mr. Eobert Elliot, F.S.A., 
of Chichester. 

The imion of West Hampnett is the largest in the county, 
and comprises nearly forty parishes. 

[S. A. C. Two watermills in Domesday, v, 272. Roman road at, xi, 128. 
Church, xii, 73. xviii, 96. Bonvilles, lords of, xv, 59. Church to Boxgrove 
Priory, XV, 86, 89. Bells, xvi, 210. Arms of Tawke, xviii, 81.] 



WEST HOTHLY. 



Vnlgo, West Hoddlye ; a parish in the Hundred of Buttinghill ; Kape 
of Lewes; distant five miles south-west from East Grinstead, its 
Post-town. Railway station, Balcombe, distant about four miles. 
Union, East Grinstead. Population in 1811, 840; in 1861, 1,120. 
Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £150; Patron, the Lord Chancellor ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Francis Kirkpatrick, M.A., of Trinity College, 
Dublin. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1645. Acreage, 4,863. 
Seats^ Gravetye, F. Cayley, Esq. ; Selsfield Lodge, J. C. Powell, Esq., 
Calcott, J. Chatterton, Esq. ; Courtlands, R. Sharpe, Esq., and several 
others. 

A considerable and picturesque parish on the Forest Kidge, 



WESTMESTON. 243 

commanding enchanting views. The manor descended as Worth. 
In this parish is the denuded range of sandstone called the 
Chiddingly Eocks, one of which, known as Great-upon-Littlej is " a 
parallelopipedon, about 20 feet high," whose four sides measure 
more than 63 feet. This immense mass, weighing 600 tons, is 
poised upon a little point of another rock, which just protrudes 
from the soil — whence the appellation. It has been supposed 
to be of Druidic origin, and Governor Pownall communicated a 
learned disquisition respecting it to the " Archseologia ;" but the 
slightest view of it, with an examination of the adjacent rocks, 
will show that it is the result of geological denudation. It has 
long been an object of curiosity, and names and dates from the 
early part of the 17th century downwards, are cut upon it. 

The Elizabethan mansion of Gravetye was once the seat of the 
Infield family, who carried on iron- works here ; and there are 
two other houses of considerable importance, one at Stoneland, 
and the other near the church, the supposed residence of the 
Feldwickes. On Selsfield Common, a commanding height, there 
was formerly a beacon. The church consists of a nave, chancel, 
south aisle, and a handsome tower and shingled spire, which 
is a great omamejit to the landscape. There are five bells, one 
of which is inscribed to St. Mary. The building has Transition- 
Norman, and Early English and later features. There are memo- 
rials to the names of Infield, Sawyer, Nairn, Wood, Griffiths, 
and Wetherell, In the chancel are a piscina and three sedilia, 

[S. A. C. Ironworks at, ii, 220. iii, 242. Gravetye, x, 166. Infield 
family, ibid. Philpott's and Barley's (lands), xiii, 48. Church to Lewes 
Priory, xiii, 244. Turner of, xiii, 253. Feldwicke, xvi, 49. Church bells, 
xvi, 112.] 



WESTMESTON. 



A parish in the Hundred of Street ; Eape of Lewes ; distant six miles 
north-west from Lewes. Post-town, Hurst-Pierpoint. Railway station, 
Hassock's Gate, distant about three miles. Union, Chailey. Popu- 
lation in 1811, 189; in 1861, 288. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at 
£536 ; Patron, William H. Campion, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. C. 
Heathcote Campion, B.A., of Christ Church, Oxford. Date of ear- 
liest Parish Register, 1587. Acreage, 2,260. Chief Landowner 8, "Rxx^ 
Cripps, Esq., of Stantons, and Henry Charles Lane, Esq., of Mid- 
dleton House, both in this parish. 

The etymon seems to be the tun or enclosure where 
mcBSte, mast, or food for swine, &c., abounded. The epithet 
West was to distinguish it from similar localities, e.g.j from 
Sel-meston, in Pevensey rape. Before the Conquest the manor 

B 2 



244 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

belonged to the Countess Gueda. It came with Lewes Rape to 
the De Warennes. In 6th Edward 11., John, Earl of Warenne, 
procured a charter for a fair, on the feast of St. Martin, the 
patron saint of the parish. In later times it has been possessed 
by the noble families of Poynings, and Fynes, Lords Dacre. In 
the sixteenth century, the Michelbornes were of Westmeston 
manor, and probably built the " Place " house. To them suc- 
ceeded the Dobells, whose successors have held the manor in 
the same line as Streat. 

In or near this parish is Chatfield, which gave name to a 
widely-spread Sussex family. So early as 1287 the names of 
Robert and Reginald de Chattefeld occur in a transfer of land 
here. The estate of Hayley anciently had a park, some vestiges 
of which are still existing. In the sixteenth century the Earl 
of Derby had a moiety of it, which, temp. Philip and Mary, his 
son and heir granted to John Carril, of Wamham, for twenty- 
one years. John Carril, his son, demised the same for his term 
to John Shelley. East Chiltington is an outlying chapelry of 
this parish. 

The church (St. Martin) consists of a nave, chancel, south 
aisle, and a shingled dovecote steeple at the west end. It has 
Norman features. The chancel, Mr. Hussey thinks, is Early 
English, though the chancel arch is semicircular. The west 
end has Perpendicular insertions. In 1862, the Rector, in the 
course of some restorations, discovered a series of mural paint- 
ings of Norman date, covering the north and east walls of the 
nave, together with part of the south wall. The subjects con- 
sisted of the Scourging, the Crucifixion, the Taking down from 
the Cross, the Adoration of the Magi, the legend of St. Vin- 
cent's martyrdom by Datian, Dioclesian's pro-consul in Spain, 
&c. A fully illustrated account of these early works of axt is 
given in the " Sussex Archaeological Collections," by the Rev. 
C. H. Campion. The church has memorials for the names of 
Chaloner, of Chiltington, Martin, Rideout, Campion, Wilson, 
Peckham, Hampton, &c. 

[8. A. C. Wilson, xiii, 253. Michelbome pedigree, xiii, 257. Mural 
paintings in church, xiv, x. xvi, 1 — 19 (Campion), Bells, xvi, 228. Sprin- 
gett family, xx, 46.] 

WHATLINGTON. 

Domesday, Watlivgetone ; a parish on the small river Brede, in the Hun- 
dreds of Battle, Staple, and Netherfield, but principally in the first- 
named ; Eape of Hastings ; distant two miles north from Battle, which 
is the Post-town and Eailway station. Union, Battle. Population in 
1811, 242 ; in 1861, 343. Benefice, a Pectory, valued at£160; Pa- 



WIGGONHOLT. 245 

tron and Incumbent, Rev. William Margesson, M.A. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1558. Acreage, 1,255. Seat, Rushton Park (olini 
Vinehall), W. Rushton Adamson, Esq. 

Harold was lord of this manor at the time of his unfor- 
tunate downfall, after which Reinbert held it of the Earl of 
Eu. In later times, it belonged to the powerful family of De 
Echingham, and subsequently to the Finches, ancestors of the 
Earls of Winchelsea. In still later times, the Pelhams possessed 
it, and it now belongs to the Earl of Ashbumham. The parish 
gave name to an ancient family called De Watlyngton, and in 
1307, John de Watlyngton was elected abbot of Battle. The 
manor of Fame or Vinehall, anciently, Fynhawe, gave name to 
the family of De Fynhawe, who ultimately wrote themselves 
Vinall, settled at Kingston, near Lewes, and became extinct 
about the end of the seventeenth century. It afterwards be- 
longed to the Dunks and Davises. Until recently, it was possessed 
by Tilden Smith, Esq., and it is now the property and seat of 
W. Rushton Adamson, Esq., by whom it has been re-named 
Rushton Park. The mansion possesses every appliance of 
luxury, including gas made on the spot, and commands a fine 
view. 

The church (St. Mary Magdalen), as described by Hussey in 
1852, comprised only chancel, nave, porch, and western wooden 
bell-turret. There were Decorated and Perpendicular features, 
a square piscina, a plain sedile, and a closed low-side window. 
In Sir W. BurreU's time, some shattered painted glass in one of 
thenorth windows contained portions of thearms of Battle Abbey, 
from which Sir WiUiam infers that the building was erected by 
one of the abbots. Within the last few years it has been 
thoroughly repaired. There are memorials for the names of 
Dunk, Scare, Theobald, &c. 

[S. A. 0. Brede river, xv, 154. Bells, xvi, 229. Abbot John de W., xvii, 
46. Church, xvii, 53. Tithes to Battle Abbey ,jXvii, 55. xviii, 39. Vinehall 
family of, xviii, 39.] 



WIGGONHOLT. 



Anciently, Wynkenholte ; a parish in the Hundred of West Easewrith ; 
Rape of Arundel ; distant three miles south-west from Pulborough 
station, and 7^ south-east of Petworth, its Post-town. Union, East 
Preston. Population in 1811, 43 ; in 1861, 34. Benefice, a Rectory, 
united with Greatham, valued at £205 ; Patron, Lord De la Zouch ; 
Incumbent, Rev. Thomas Bacon, M.A., of Merton College, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1597. Acreage, 841. 

Of the history of this small parish nothing of value is 



246 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

known untU the 13th century. When Henry Tregoz held it, 
temp. Henry III., it was erected into a manor, the lands of which 
extended into many of the neighbouring parishes. In 1550 the 
greater part of the estate was granted, with Parham, to Sir 
Thomas Pabner, who, or his representatives, transferred it to 
the family of Bisshopp, whose descendant, the Baroness De la 
Zouch, brought it to the family of Curzon, its present possessors. 
(See Pabham.) The church, which I have not seen, is described 
by Dallaway as " very small, and without any vestige of archi- 
tectural ornament." The font is early Norman, large, square, 
and of Sussex marble. 

In 1827 some curious Roman remains were found in the parish. 
They consisted of sepulchral urns and other vessels, some of 
which were Samian, with good ornamentation. Coins of Nero, 
Vespasian, Claudius, Hadrian, and M. Antoninus were also found. 

[8. A. 0. Roman remains, ix, 112. xi, 139. xiv, 37. Lands of Torting- 
ton Priory, xi^ 110. Roman road, xi, 139. Manor granted by Queen 
Elizabeth, xiii, 48. Coins found at Redford, xiy, 37. Rectory, xiv, 166. 
Monke of, xyi, 50. Church bell, xvi, 229. Londonroad to Arundel, xix, 158.] 



WITHDEAN, vulgo^ Wighting. See Patcham 



WILLINGDON. 



Domesday, Willendone ; vulgo, Wilndon ; a parish in the Hundred of its 
own name ; Rape of Peyensey ; distant two miles north-west from 
Eastbourne. Post-town, Hawkhurst. Railway station, Polegate, dis- 
tant about one mile. Union, Eastbourne. Population in 1811, 445; 
in 1861, 709. Benefice, a Vicarage, yalued at £150. Patrons, Dean 
and Chapter of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rey. Thomas Lowe, M. A., 
of Oriel College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1560. 
Acreage, 4,217. Chief Landowners, Representatiyes of the late F. 
Freeman Thomas, Esq., of Ratton,* the only seat in the parish, 
though there are seyeral other excellent residences. 

The village is seated on an eminence near the base of the 
Sonth Downs, and commands a fine view of Pevensey Bay. A 
lofty height of the Downs, which run directly southward to 
Beachy Head through this parish, is called Crow-crouch, from a 
cross which formerly stood there. The modem mansion of 
Batton occupies an elevated spot on a declivity of the Downs. 
Of the ancient manor-house nothing but the old gatehouse 
remains, though, towards the end of the last century, it was 

* Batten anoiently had a park, the remembrance of whioh is perpetuated in '* Park 
Farm," a portion of the estate, and formerly celebrated for its decoy of ducks, the 
ponds of which remain. 



WILLINGDON. 247 

entire, and had its venerable hall decorated with halberts, 
partisans, cross-bows, and other warlike implements. It was 
deserted, as the residence of the proprietors of the estate, on 
the erection of the new Ratton-place by Sir George Thomas, 
Bart., Governor of Antigua, who had acquired the property by 
purchase of Samuel Durrant, of Lewes, Esq. The earlier history 
of Batton (coinciding with the manor of Willingdon) is interest- 
ing. It extends into the parishes of Willingdon and Eastbourne, 
and proceeds by a narrow slip of land into the distant parishes 
of Hellingly, Chiddingly, and Heathfield. In one part of 
Hellingly the connection is formed only by a thick hedge, as I 
have heard my late father say. In the time of the Confessor 
it was held by Godwin, Earl of Kent, and was valued at sixty 
pounds. After the Conquest the Earl of Moreton obtained the 
manor, when it was valued at forty pounds. Bichard de Aquila, 
a subsequent lord of the great barony of Pevensey, gave a portion 
of it to the abbey of Grestein in Normandy. Henry III., in the 
44th year of his reign, granted the manor to his kinsman, Peter 
of Savoy. Edward IV. settled it in dower on his consort. Queen 
Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth (Tudor) granted it about 1668 to 
Thomas, Lord Buckhurst, for the annual rent of £73 10s., and a 
pound of pepper. It would appear that the manor was formerly 
held by sub-feudatories, as there is a tolerably clear history of 
Katton, unconnected with the noble and royal personages above 
enumerated. Indeed a separate manor of Radetone is mentioned 
in Domesday. Ratton gave name to a family at an early period, 
and their ultimate heiress married Walter de Rackele, whose 
last descendant espoused John Parker, who was living in 18th 
Henry VI. The Parkers became one of the most eminent fami- 
lies of the county, and held this estate for upwards of three 
centuries. They had previously been resident at Bexhill (then 
called Bexley) in East Sussex, for several generations, and before 
and after their acquisition of Eatton they were allied with the 
best families in this and other counties, namely, Halle of Ore, 
Levet of HoUington, Bate of Lydd, Thatcher of Ringmer, 
Pelham, Farnfold/ Gage, Sackville, WaUer of Groombridge, 
Selwyn of Priston, Courtney of Powderham, co. Devon, 
Temple of Stowe, co. Buckingham, Dacre of Hurst-Monceux, 
Newdigate of Warwickshire, Campion of Combwell, Shurley of 
Isfield, &c. In fact, the genealogical rolls of our county scarcely 
exhibit a greater number of splendid alliances. In 1674, Sir 
Robert Parker was created a baronet, but the title became 
extinct with his grandson. Sir Walter, in 1760. Of this family 
were John Parker, deputy of George Boleyn, Lord Rocheford, 
Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports, who rebuilt Ratton and died 
in 1 558, and Sir Nicholas and Sir John Parker, both captains of 



248 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

the important fortress of Pendennis Castle, in Cornwall ; but 
the most noticeable member of the family was Henry, son of Sir 
Nicholas Parker, who was bom at Ratton about the beginning 
of the 17th century. After his university career at Oxford, he 
became a member of Lincoln's Inn ; and at the commencement 
of the Civil War, he took the Parliamentary side, and was secre- 
tary of war under the Earl of Essex. On the Earl's death he 
retired to Hamburg, from whence he was recalled by Cromwell 
to be his secretary, or, as Anthony-a-Wood calls him, " a breroer^a 
clerk ! " He was an industrious author, and published several 
theological and political works, which acquired considerable 
popularity in their day. He died in 1657. His grandmother, 
Hester, wife of Sir Thomas Temple, of Stowe, Bart., survived 
him and lived to see the astonishing number of upwards of 
%even hundred descendards from her own body. This fact is 
vouched for by Fuller in his "Worthies of England," that 
"worthy" having lost a wager on the subject. (Vol. i, p. 210, 
edit. 1840.) The estate of Eatton passed through the Parkers 
to the family of Trayton, and the last male heir of that family 
devised it to Samuel Durrant, Esq., of Lewes, to whom he was 
under heavy pecuniary engagements. It may be remarked here 
that the name of Trayton, so common as a Christian name in 
this part of Sussex, is owing to the fact that Mr. Edward Trayton, 
a rather " fast man " of his time, and highly popular among 
the farmers and tradesmen, became godfather to many children ; 
and to this day hundreds of Sussex people bear the prsenomen 
of Trayton, believing it to be as orthodox and regular as John or 
William. 

The church consists of nave, chancel, north aisle, and south 
porch, with a tower at the west end of the aisle. Mr. Hussey 
considers the tower to have been partially or wholly rebuilt, 
though the arch is of Norman date. There are Early English 
features, but the windows are chiefly Pei*pendicular. "The 
nave is remarkably spacious. The aisle was evidently once more 
considerable than at present, and might have originally been 
the nave." (Hussey's " Churches," p. 378.) This arrangement, 
however abnormal, produces a pleasing and picturesque effect, 
and the commanding site of the building renders it one of the 
most interesting churches in this part of the county. There 
are five beUs. In the Parker chapel are several interesting mona- 
ments to that family. There is a brass of a man in armour 
with the coat of Parker quartering Rakeley and Ratton, and 
impaling Sackville, to H^oj^lt ^atfeet, Esq., and Johan, his wife, 
1543 ; as also another with the arms of Parker, and its quarter- 
ings impaled with Waller of Groombridge, to Thomas Parker, 
Esq., of the date of 1580. But the monumental glory of the 



WILMINGTON, 249 

clmrch is a marble tomb to Sir Nicholas Parker, representing 
the effigies of the knight in armour under a canopy, with kneel- 
ing figures of his three wives, and the arms and quarterings of 
his several alliances. Beneath the arch is a metrical epitaph, 
concluding thus : — 

*' Then blame not aged Britain's feeble womb, 
For in her Parker's birth she did consume 
Her utmost strength. The world will scarce be strong 
For such another brave conception." 

There are numerous other memorials in the building. 

Roman and other coins have been found at Willingdon. 
HiDNET, formerly a member of the Cinque Ports, in this parish, 
is mentioned in a separate article. Far out at sea, on the south 
boundary, is a shoal called the " Horse of Willingdon." 

[S. A. C. Leaden coffer, i, 160. xviii, 63. Domesday mill, v, 271. Parkers 
of Ratton, xiii, 54. xiv, 122. xviii, 40. Possessions of Gilbert de Aquila, 
xiv, 41. Picknoll, a Quaker, fined, xvi, 88. Bells, xvi, 229. Rakle family, 
xviii, 28, 40. Hydneye (see Hidney), xix, 27 and 28. Hydoneye, ibid, 
Ratton, xix, 32. Interments in church, and stone coflfin-lid, xx, 233.] 



WILMINGTON. 



Domesday, Wineltone ; a parish in the Hundred of Longbridge ; Rape of 
Pevensey ; distant six miles from Eastbourne. Post-town, Hawk- 
hurst. Railway station, Berwick, distant about two miles. Union, 
Eastbourne. Population in 1811, 270 ; in 1861,251. Benefice, a 
Vicarage, valued at £111 ; Patron, the Duke of Devonshire ; Incum- 
bent, Rev. George Miles Cooper, M.A., of St. John's College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1538. Acreage, 1,744. 
Chief Landowner, The Duke of Devonshire. 

This agreeable village, standing on a declivity of the South 
Downs, commands a view of those undulating hills, and from 
the heights above it the great Weald is seen to much advantage. 
The manor of Wineltone belonged in Ante-Norman times to 
Earl Godwin, father of Harold. After the Conquest it fell, 
with the Rape of Pevensey, into the hands of Robert, Earl of 
Moreton, who gave it to the great Benedictine Abbey of Gres- 
tein, near Honfleur, in Normandy, which had been founded by 
his father. The Domesday record states that the manor con- 
sisted of eight hides, with an arable of nine ploughlands, one 
of which was detached, in the Rape of Hastings. Alnod had 
held it of Earl Godwin, and besides this there appears to have 
been another manor of four hides, which the Norman abbot 
also held ; but the account is much confused. There were 16 



260 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Tilleins, 10 bondsmen, and 9 plonglis. The total value ^ms thir- 
teen pounds. In the reign of William Sufus the Norman monks 
sent over some of their brethren to take care of their lands, and 
a small cell to the mother abbey was founded here, and vma 
known as Wilmington Priory. It subsisted till 1414, when 
Henry V., during his wars with France, suppressed the "Alien'* 
priories. The Rev. G. M. Cooper has brought together all the 
known facts connected with this small ecclesiastical establish- 
ment, in Vol. iv. of the " Sussex Archaeological Collections.'* 
These are not numerous, but we learn that the principal posses- 
sions of the house were, besides the demesne at Wilmington, 
Frogfirle in Alfriston, property at Pevensey, and certain rights 
in ABhdown Forest for pannage (pig-feeding), and for wood, 
fuel, and church-building. Other possessions are mentioned in 
Waldron, Laughton, East Hothly, HeUingly, Tilton, in Selmes- 
ton, Heighton, Langney, and also the advowsons of Eastdean, 
Westdean, and West-Firle. There were smaller benefactions 
from others, as Charlston in Westdean, Milton in Arlington, 
Sutton-juxta-Seaford, Berwick, Exceit, Sherrington, in Selmes- 
ton, Westham, and many other neighbouring places. Edward 
II., seized the property of aU the alien priories in this county, 
and Wilmington was of course included in the number. Ed- 
ward III. also confiscated the priory estate, but restored it 
after his war with France had terminated. The subsequent 
history of Wilmington Priory consists of a series of squabbles 
between this establishment and the Crown, until its fiinal 
disestablishment by Henry V. Mr. Cooper has stated all 
these matters with minute detail in his elaborate paper. The 
families of Sackville and Compton became in turn lords of the 
manor, and Sir Spencer Compton, the eminent statesman, was 
created, in 1 780, Earl of Wilmington. By an heiress of the 
Compton family it was conveyed to Lord G. A. H. Cavendish, 
whose descendant, the Duke of Devonshire, is the present lord. 
Of the priory there are but slight remains, consisting chiefly 
of an entrance gate, flanked with two towers of the 15th cen- 
tury ; ah apartment with a vaulted roof, now used as a parlour ; 
and a crypt or vaulted cellar of considerable architectural in- 
terest. The remains of the building have long been occupied 
as a farm house. To the south-east of the monastery, on the 
escarpment of the South Downs, is a gigantic figure of a man, 
which was formerly laid bare to the chalk, after the manner of the 
" white horse ** in Wiltshire. It can only be seen when the sun^s 
rays strike the spot at a particular angle, or when there is some 
snow on the ground. The figure is 240 feet in length, and holds 
a staff in each hand parallel to the body. Some antiquaries 
assign these hill-side figures to a very remote antiquity, but I 



WINCHELSEA. 251 

think there is little doubt that this was an idle freak of the 
monks of WUmington, especially as an analogous giant, 180 
feet high, armed with a club, is found opposite the abbey of 
Ceme in Dorsetshire, on the face of a chalk hill. Our figure is 
locally known as the " Long Man.'* 

The church (St. Mary and St.. Peter) is a small building close 
to the priory, and principally of late Norman and Early English 
work, with admixtures of later styles. "The form of the 
church," as Mr. Cooper observes, " is singular, the north and 
south iransepts in no way corresponding ; the former bears the 
appearance of a side chapel." In the church-yard is a noble 
yew-tree, probably older than the church itself. ,There are 
memorials for the names of Hay, Edwards, Hodsden, Hubersty, 
Sunderland, Ade, &c. A branch of the " ubiquitous Culpepers " 
resided sometime at Wilmington Priory, and their arms appear 
on a mutilated monument in the south chapel. 

A considerable number of the bronze implements, called Celts, 
was found in this parish in 1861. They are preserved at Lewes 
Castle. In this parish is a place called Mountain Pin, corrupted 
from Monken-Pyn, or the Monk^s Pine, probably from its hav- 
ing been connected with Wilmington Priory. 

[8. A. C. Priory and church (Cooper), iy, 37. xvii, 145. xyiii, 69. 
The Giant on the hill, iv, 63. Grange tithes granted by Queen Elizabeth, 
xiii, 46. Henry Marshall, priest, his will, xiii, 49. Honey, Scrase, and 
Jordan families, xiii, 52 — 54. Roman way called Crreen Street, xiii, 55. 
Celts and British antiquities (Cooper), xiy, 171. Endlewick bailiwick, 
xiv, 263. Church bells, xvi, 229. Fotur in Cade's insurrection, xviii, 27. 
Priory keys at Lewes, xviii, 69. Compton family, xx, 138.] 



WINCHELSEA. 



A parish and "Ancient Town" in the Rape of Hastings ; distant three miles 
south-west from Rye, its Post-town and Union. It has its own Rail- 
way station on the South Eastern Railway. Population in 1811, 652* 
in 1861, 719. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £278 ; Incumbent, Rev, 
James John West, M.A. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1538. 
Acreage, 1,120. Seats, The Friars, Captain Stileman; Mariteau- 
house, R. Buchanan Dunlop, Esq. 

Few small local towns have been favoured with so com- 
petent an historian as W. Durrant Cooper, Esq., F.S.A., whose 
" History of Winchelsea,'' 1860, is replete with interest and 
carefiil record. The site of the original Winchelsea was a low 
flat island at the south-east extremity of the county, two miles 
south-south-east of the rock upon which the town of Eye now 
stands. It was then bare and insulated. There is no evidence 



252 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

of this place having been known to the ISomans, though two or 
three authorities have made the assertion. To the Saxons it 
Tvas known, and from them derived its name — Wincel, a corner, 
and ea^ water, which well describes the original situation. A. 
ridiculous verse quoted by Jeake, alluding to the eastern mem- 
bers of the Cinque Ports, runs — 

** Dovor, SandivicuB, By, Hum, Frig-mare- ventus," 

and the last, name has been rendered " Wind-chills-sea I" — ^not a 
phenomenon quite peculiar to this place. The Saxon Chronicle 
and Domesday book are both silent, yet it is stated by Ruding 
that King Edgar had a mint here in 959. A charter of Henry 
III. mentions that Edward the Confessor granted this town with 
Eye to the monks of Encamp, in Normandy. Mr. Cooper 
tlunks he traces Winchelsea, though not actually mentioned, eo 
nomine, in the record ; but this poiqt requires fm^her research. 
The importance of Winchelsea at the time of the Conquest and 
in succeeding reigns is shown by several facts. Here, on Decem- 
ber 7th, 1067, the Conqueror landed, and by his sudden arrival 
defeated the plans of the Saxons for shalnng off the Norman 
yoke. In 1138, King Henry IE., having been over sea respect- 
ing State affairs, landed here. Norden states that when it was 
in its most flourishing condition it contained 700 householders, 
but quotes no authority. Kilbume, the Kentish historian, says 
it was anciently " a pretty town and much resorted to ;" and a 
M S. in the Dering collection says it had once in it 50 inns and 
taverns. The towns of Winchelsea and Eye were probably 
added to the Cinque Ports by the Conqueror. They were cer- 
tainly brought into that ancient league before the time of 
John, since in the first year of his reign (1200) both rendered 
service in the navy as members of Hastings. The style of these 
towns was " nobiliora membra Quinque Portuum." They are 
now called " the Ancient Towns.'' In the early part of the 
thirteenth century. Old Winchelsea was in its greatest pros- 
perity : it had a large commerce, and its bay was the rendezvous 
for the English fleet. More than once it was menaced by the 
French, and a descent was expected in 1216, when King John 
wrote to the Barons of Winchelsea to order them that if his 
enemy Louis (son of Philip of Prance, an aspirant to the 
monarchy of England) should land there, that rather than his 
town should be burnt or greatly damaged, they should offer 
him 200 marks as a ransom. In 1217, the men of Winchelsea 
took an active part in the naval engagement between the Ports* 
fleet, under Hubert de Burgh, against the French, under De 
Courtney. During the first half of the thirteenth century, 
•tremendous storms took place on the English coast. Up to 



WINCHELSEA. 253 

the year 1250, Winchelsea had escaped tolerably well. But 
then some churches, several bridges, mills, banks, &c., and 300 
houses were destroyed by the rising of the waters. The sea is 
said to have flowed twice without ebb, making a horrible noise, 
and at night it seemed to be " light-a-fire ;" three noble ships 
and smaller craft, at a place called Huchebum, were cast away, 
and foundered. Four years later, the crops could not be 
gathered in as usual, the ground being covered with salt. 

The old town had several religious establishments, consisting 
of the churches of St. Thomas and St. Giles, a House of Grey 
Friars, founded soon after the introduction of that order in 
1224, and a hospital of St. Bartholomew. In the Barons' War, 
the Cinque Ports sided with De Montfort. King Henry reached 
Winchelsea on the 8th of May, 1264, and remained till the 
10th, when he marched towards Lewes to meet the baronial 
army, and on the 14th of the same month the tremendous battle 
of Lewes took place. When Eleanor, countess of the successful 
De Montfort, made her journey with the Earl from Porchester 
to Dover in the following year, they passed with their suite 
through Winchelsea, where they spent a day and feasted the 
burghers. For two years after the Barons' success at Lewes 
the men of Winchelsea devoted their energies to piracy, in 
which Simon de Montfort, son of the baronial leader, took an 
active part. Li 1266, a terrible retribution occurred. Prince 
Edward took the town by assault, and much bloodshed en- 
sued. The bulk of the population, however, were spared, and 
commanded to forsake their piratical practices. In 1276, the 
King himself arrived at Winchelsea, no longer to chastise, but 
to arrange for the transfer of a new and more favourable site. 
At length, in 1287, the great inundation happened, which sub- 
merged all the marshy ground between Clivesden, near Fair- 
light, and Hythe. This was on February 4th, 1287, and this 
place was no longer habitable. 

In the Old town of Winchelsea was bom, in the thirteenth 
century, Robert of Winchelsey, the celebrated Archbishop of 
Canterbury. 

Following Mr. Cooper, we find that after Henry's visit to the 
threatened town, he sent thither John Kirkeby, Bishop of Ely, 
and Treasurer of England, to fix upon a site for a new town. 
The site adopted was a hill in the adjoining parish of Ickles- 
ham, then called Iham. The spot was principally a sandstone 
rock, used as a rabbit-warren. The base of this rock was washed 
by the waters on the east and north sides. The whole land 
assigned for the town was 1 50 acres, and the work of rebuilding 
was proceeded with. In the quaint words of Leland, ^^ The 
King set to his helpe in beginning and wauling New Winchel- 



254 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

sey ; and the inhabitants of Old Winchelsey tooke by a litle 
and litle, and buildid at the new toune. So that wythyn the vi 
or vii yere afore expressid the new tonne was metely welle fur- 
nished, and dayly after for a fewe yeres encreasid/' Thomas, 
of Walsingham, calls the new town a Port upon a hill, very 
steep on the side looking towards the sea, or where it overlooks 
the road where the ships lie at anchor. He adds that on this 
precipitous side there is only a rampart of earth, while on the 
other sides there was a wall of stone. An accident happened 
to the King who had gone down to view the progress of the 
works. His horse, frightened by the rattling of a windmill, 
plunged, and threw the rider; but the townsmen took him 
up almost unharmed. Besides the wall, there was a castle 
which commanded the inner harbour, and until 1828 there 
stood a round watch-tower, called the Roundle. Of the ancient 
gateways three are still standing, namely. Strand-gate, New-gate, 
and Pipewell-gate, andform very picturesque objects. Besides the 
two churches of St. Thomas and St. Giles within, and that of 
St. Leonard without, the walls, the house of Grey-friars and the 
hospital of St. Bartholomew, which had existed in the old town, 
were represented in the new. There were also hospitals of St. 
John and the Holy-Rood; and afterwards, in the reign of Edward 
IL, a house of Black-Friars was founded. Water supplies were 
easily obtained from six open wells, known as Pipe well, St. 
Catherine's, Strand, "New, Friars', and Vale wells. The town 
abounds with crypts and vaults, some of which have hand- 
some groinings. It was among these, probably, that Grose 
found what he considers 14 or 15 chapels which tradition- 
ally existed ; but they were doubtless nothing more than stores 
for wine and other merchandise. The town was laid out 
in 39 quarters or squares of varying shapes and dimensions, the 
streets enclosing them generally running at right angles. Some 
of the quarters had singular names, as Cook's Garden, Ballad- 
singer's Plat, Trojan's-hall, and Tinker's-garden. The exact 
sites of the squares and places are given as they existed 20th 
Edward I., in a record remaining among the national records, 
together with the names of each proprietor in the 39 quarters, 
several hundreds in number. Many of the names are those of 
families still extant in East Sussex, such as Milward (leMeleward) 
Coleman, Petit, Dawe, Crouche, Pollard, Broker (Brooker), Lamb, 
Frost, Deryng, Pilcher, Terry, Pace, Seman, now Simmons, &c. 
The name of Alard is the most conspicuous. Mr.|[,Cooper men- 
tions the comparative importance of the naval resources of the 
town among its sister Cinque Ports in 1294, when Edmund, the 
king's brother, was about to sail for Gascony. Out of the 50 
ships supplied by the ports, Winchelsea furnished 13, the names 



WINCHELSEA. 255 

of which, with their masters and constables, are given by Mr. 
Cooper. As the king's foreign affairs became more urgent, the 
town walls were strengthened, and as the sea began to make 
encroachments, it was necessary to add to and strengthen the 
embankments. It would be impossible in this limited space to 
mention in detail the royal orders, charters, &c., which followed 
these events ; Mr. Cooper, however, gives most of them. For 
warlike suSairs the town had its governor, and for internal matters 
its bailiff and corporate officers. The French made frequent 
attacks, and in 1350 a naval engagement took place off Win- 
chelsea, between the English fleet, commanded by King Edward 
m., assisted by the Black Prince, and the Spanish armament, 
which consisted of 10,000 men. The struggle was tremendous, 
and lasted many hours, ending in the discomfiture of the 
Spaniards, who lost 14 out of 40 ships, while the rest fled in 
disorder. The King and his nobles anchored in the evening at 
Eye and Winchelsea, and taking horse rode two leagues to the 
mansion where the Queen was — probably at Echingham. The 
Queen was overjoyed to meet her husband, her sons, and the 
other great lords, for she had received a full account of the con- 
flict which her attendants had viewed from a height which 
commanded the scene of action. A graphic account of the 
battle is given by Froissart and other chroniclers. In 1369 
the French attacked Winchelsea, entered it, to the number of 
3,000, and partly burnt it down. The atrocities they committed 
are almost too horrid for recital. They entered the church 
during divine service, and carried off the most beautiful of the 
women, and took 13 ships, well freighted with wine and victuals. 
The English had their reprisals, for in the following year the 
Cinque Ports navy, with their allies, numbering 80 ships, as- 
sembled at Winchelsea, and, setting sail for France, burnt the 
town of Luce, in the isle of Sans, andafterwards entered the isle of 
Caux. In fact, throughout the reign of Edward III., Winchelsea 
was the scene of war and naval preparations, which proves that 
the town was then regarded in the same light as Portsmouth and 
Plymouth became in later ages. The most memorable attack 
of the French was in 1376, when the valiant Hamo of Offington, 
Abbot of Battle, with an improvised army, routed their forces. 
Two years later he was less successful. An attack was made, 
and the Abbot put to flight, after great damage had been done 
to the town. In later times Winchelsea became the port of 
embarcation for pilgrims to St. James of Compostella. The last 
attack of the French was in 1448 or 1449, when no great damage 
was done. From that date Winchelsea gradually decreased in 
trade and importance, and the sea having receded. Rye became 
the port for this part of the coast. "Hie dissolution of the 



256. HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

religious houses, as Mr. Cooper observes, completed the ruin of 
the town. Although when Queen Elizabeth in 1573 visited the 
place, and was met in procession by the mayor and jurats in 
scarlet gowns, she named it " Little London," its day was gone 
by, and its subsequent history is one of decline and decay. Since 
Elizabeth's time the sea has receded a mile or more. The mer- 
chants retired to more profitable resorts. From time to time 
this once important town dwindled down to the proportions of 
an inconsiderable village, and still so continues, though it pos- 
sesses numerous remains of its ancient importance. Among the 
oldest is the Court-hall, or Water-bailiff's prison, which seems 
to have been built on an older site in the Tudor period. But 
by far the most interesting reUc is the church of St. Thomas, 
now a mere fragment of the original building, yet stiU forming 
one of the most interesting and picturesque ecclesiastical edifices 
in the diocese. The choir and chancel, with fragments of the 
transepts, now only remain of this large cruciform church. The 
south aisle was formerly the chapel of St. Nicholas, in which 
was the chantry of the Alard family, while the north aisle (St. 
Mary) contained the Famcombe chantry. During repairs of 
modem date, mutilated remains of a piscina and three highly 
ornamented sedilia were brought to light. The architectural 
details of the whole building are of most interesting character. 
Near the south-west side of the church-yard stood, until 1790, 
a campanile or bell-tower. " Ln the aisles of the choir ai'e five 
fine monuments ; three are canopied tombs of cross-legged 
secular warriors (probably Crusaders) one of a young man who 
had not been knighted, and the fifth of a lady in the dress of 
Edward III.'s time." (Cooper.) The monumental glory of the 
building is the richly canopied tomb ascribed to Gervase Alard, 
Admiral of the Cinque Ports, with a recumbent effigy. This 
magnificent memorial, which has been figured by Blore and 
Cooper, is without doubt the finest in Sussex, and belongs to 
the later part of the 13th century. In the choir is a slab, the 
brass of which has disappeared, for iEteBnaulraiarli,1364. There 
is also a small brass for a priest, without name or date. There 
are more modem memorials to the names of Jorden, Lambard, 
Godfrey, Dawes, Stuart, Dyne, HoUingberry, Denne, Newman, 
Mahphant, Baldwin, Stileman, Eichards, Terry, Ade, &c. The 

sisted of a nave, chancel, one aisle, and a small tower with one 
beu. ihe walls were in a rainous state in 1608, and were in 
course of time removed. 

w?r?.L?''''^l^7 ""^ ^""^^ ^^^^^ originally established at Old 
W mchelsea, had one of the best sites in the new town aUotted 
to It. It was built on the east side of the town. It was a large 



WINCHELSEA. 257 

building, and had a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The 
choir is still standing as a picturesque ruin in the grounds of 
Mr. Stileman. There is little history attached to this founda- 
tion, and at the Reformation it shared the common fate. After 
having passed through several proprietorships, it came into the 
possession of the late Richard Stileman, Esq., and still remains 
in his family. The house of Black Friars was founded by Edward 
II., in 1318. The prior and his brethren built a commodious 
house with an oratory. The establishment was dissolved in 1535, 
and no remains of it exist except a few walls and five large crypts 
in what is called Chesnut field. The site now belongs to the 
Dawes family. There was in the town a Preceptory dedicated 
to St. Anthony, but except a brass seal of the time of Henry 
VI., no record of the foundation exists. The hospitals of St. 
John, the Holy Cross, and St. Bartholomew, fell, of course, with 
the rest of the religious houses of the town. 

The Wesleyan chapel of this town was built in 1786. Mr. 
Wesley once officiated in it, and in 1790 he preached his last 
open-air sermon beneath a large tree near the church-yard, to a 
numerous auditory. " I went," he says, " over that poor skele- 
ton of ancient Winchelsea " — a felicitous expression. The tree 
is still standing. 

Among the ancient families of Winchelsea were those of Alard, 
of Saxon origin, and still existing in Kent ; Finch, great mer- 
chants here, and ancestors of the Earls of Winchelsea ; Oxen- 
bridge, ancestors of the family of that name at Brede Place ; 
Londenays; Godfrey, M.P.'s for this and other towns, and 
founders of the chantryin St. Thomas's church ; and Famcombe, 
originally " of that ilk '' in Patcham, from whom descended 
Aid. Thomas Famcombe, Lord Mayor of London in 1850. 

The manor of Tham, Iham, or Higham, lies in this and several 
adjoining parishes. It belonged to the Kentish family of 
Guldeford, originally of East Guldeford, near Rye, and passed 
through the families of Caryll, Wyndham, and Ashburnham, 
to the present possessor, H. Mascall Curteis, Esq. Within this 
manor in 1849 was built a new church. It lies on the west side 
of the mouth of Rye harbour, and is popularly known as Rye- 
harbour church. In this manor lies the Camber, meaning on 
this coast a haven, part of which is east of the Rother, and was 
doubtless part of Old Winchelsea. Winchelsea, or Camber 
Castle, is actually in the parish of Icklesham. It is one of the 
numerous coast defences built by Henry VIII. about 1539. It 
stands on a marshy plain, two miles north-east of the town. 
Many of the main walls, built of brick, cased with squared stones, 
are still standing. The plan is a large circular tower or keep, 
surrounded by smaller ones connected by short curtain walls. 

VOL. II. s 



268 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

There is but little of interest now in these crumbling remains, 
though the castle must have been considered in its time an im«- 
portant fortress, having a govemor and a suitable staff of officers. 
At length it was dismantled, and .the sea having deserted the 
site, it has gradually fallen into the ruinous condition in which 
we see it at this day. The decay of Camber haven has gone pari 
passu with that of the castle. Norden tells us, however, that 
so lately as 1624, the old men remembered having seen 400 
tall ships of all nations anchored in the Camber, " where now 
sheep and cattle feed." 

At the north-west comer of the town lie the small Parish and 
Liberty of St. Leonard. It belongs to the port of Hastings. 
The church formerly contained an image of St. Leonard holding 
a vane in his hand, to which the women of Winchelsea used to 
resort, and turned the vane in the direction " towards such coasts 
as they desired the wind to serve for the speedy return of their 
friends or husbands." The last rector instituted was in 1484, 
and after that the building fell to decay. 

The town is governed by a mayor and jurats, and enjoys all 
Cinque- Port privileges. The common seal is very elaborate, and 
belongs to tiie reign of Edward I. Winchelsea sent two mem- 
bers to Parliament from 42nd Edward III., till 1832, and by the 
Boxmdary Act of tiiat year it was thrown into the electoral dis- 
trict of Rye. 

This article is an imperfect abridgment of Mr. Cooper's work, 
and that gentleman has supplemented his valuable volume by a 
paper in Vol. viu. of the " Sussex Collections," chiefly relating 
to corporation and maritime affairs, with an elaborate account 
of the great East Sussex family of Oxenbridge. 

[S. A. C. Town seal, i, 21. Samuel Gott, v, 96. Royal visits, William 
I., V, 282. John, i, 135. Henry III., i, 137. Edward I., i, 138. Edward 
III., iv, 113. vi, 63. Elizabeth, v, 190. vi, 63. Alards of, viii, 154, 212. 
Notices of town (Cooper) after 15th century, viii, 201. Oxenbridges of, 
viii, 213. Westons of, ibid, 233. Royal mint, ix, 369. Smugglers, x, 93. 
Tradesmen's tokens, x, 209. Atlas maritimus, xi, 181. Pilgrims to Com- 
postella, xii, 27. Charters of Cinque ports, xii, 159. Image of St. Leonard, 
xiii, 70. The town fortified, xiii, 115. Refugees, xiii, 180. Strowings at 
weddings, xiii, 231. Champayne, &c., at Agincourt, xv, 125. Bell, xvi, 
229. Abbot Offington's defence against the French, xvii, 46. Pipewell- 
gate, xviii, 61. Venetian ships' charts, xx, 225.] 



WISBOROUGH GREEN. 



Vulgo, Green; a parish in the Hundreds of Bury, Rotherbridge, and West 
Easwrith ; Rape of Arundel; distant three miles west from Billings- 
hurst Railway station, and six miles east of Petworth. Post-town, 



WISBOROUGH GREEN. 25'J 

Horsham. Union, Petworth. Population in 1811,1,421; in 1861, 
1,682. Benefice, a Vicarage, with the Curacy of Loxwood, valued 
at £440 ; Patron, the Bishop of London ; Incumhent, Kev. M. W. 
Gregory, M.A., of Wadham College, Oxford. Date of earliest 
Parish Register, 1560. Acreage, 8,484. 

This Wealden parish lies upon a clayey soil, and a consi- 
derable portion of it is occupied by woodland and waste. It is 
divided into the several districts of Palingham, Drungewick, 
Loxwood, Hasfold, &c. Palingham was anciently one of the 
tithings of West Easwrith, and it extends into Petworth and 
Kirdford. The manor was held of the Honour of Arundel, and 
was annexed to those of Shillinglee and Hibemow, with the 
■parks of Medhone and Bignor. It passed by a forced exchange 
between Henry VIII. and the Earl of Arundel, for the site and 
lands of Michelham in Pevensey Eape. Afterwards it returned 
to the Earls of Arundel, and in 1790 came to Sir Edward Onslow, 
of Drungewick, whose descendants sold it to the late Earl of 
Egremont. In the reign of Elizabeth the river Aran was made 
navigable to Palingham, for the purpose of bringing down tim- 
ber from the Weald, and a large iron furnace was established 
here. The canal connecting the Arun with the Wey at Shal- 
ford, in Surrey, runs through this parish. It was opened for 
general traffic in 1816. Drungewick, including the manor of 
Bradbridge in Slynfold, originally belonged to the Abbey of 
Seez, in Normandy, and their cell at Arundel. In 1256 it was 
transferred to Climping, Bishop of Chichester, who established 
there a staurum^ or store of cattle, which consisted of 260 oxen, 
100 cows, 10 bulls, 3,100 sheep, 120 she-goats, 10 he-goats, and 
10 horses, and this stock was kept up from 1256 to 1560. Thus 
the episcopal menage must have provided well for its kitchen. 
Of course there were a grange and a chapel, but of these we 
know but little. The bishops, however, frequently visited their 
property here, and held ordinations in the chapel. At a later 
date the knightly family of Onslow, from whom sprang Sir 
Eichard Onslow, Bart., Speaker of the House of Commons, 1708, 
and his brother, Foot Onslow, Esq., became respectively pro-, 
genitors of the Barons and Earls of Onslow. Loxwood, for- 
merly Lokyswood, was parcel of the manor of Bury, and was 
held of the Honour of Arundel by the family of Threele for 
several generations. The families of King and Onslow were 
afterwards proprietors. The chapel of Loxwood was built by 
license of Bishop Praty, in 1414. About the year 1540, three 
maiden sisters are said to have repaired and endowed the chapel. 
The buUding, which consists of nave and chancel, was repaired 
by an injunction from the Bishop about the year 1828. Has- 
fold, or Haresfold, belonged, temp. Edward L, to Eichard, Earl 

s 2 



258 n,^.r o. SVBBBX. ^^^^^^^^^^^ 

There ia bol little of interest now ta *K,%a in '^ «■"? office™- 
though the caitle mMt have been ''""'citable st»? 'rfed *!" 
portant fortresa, having a governor and » having ^ . whicb 
At length it »ju dismantled, and .the sea. jjtioB m " „• 

•itc, it has gradoallj taUen into the '^•"^P^ua.ven !>»« ^ Sat 
we aee it at this day. The decay of Oajufcer"-' jjowever, 
yossK with that of the castle. Norden WU» having """^ „„» 
BoUtelf as 1624, the old men ■'ememberea ^^^^ « where" 
tall ships of all nations anchored in the ^ - i, nnd 

sheep and cattle feed." ^. „ ,nudl Pj^i;'™ 

At the north-west comer of the town lie tnlTrt of Has«».» 
Liberty of St. Leonarf. It belongs to th« PS^onaJ-d '"'^"fX 
The church formerly eontamed an image " ^^'-^l^cbelsea nsea 
a vane in his hand, to which the women of "^"l^^s sucb ^seas ^ 
resort, and turned the vane in the direction " *^" j.etum .o* J^^ 
as they desired the wind to serve for ^^.^P^K^d ^^ *" ' 



W18B0R0UGH GREEK. 25'J 

Horsham. Union, Petworth. Popnlation in 1811, 1,421; inl861, 

1,682. Benefice, a Vicarage, with the Curacy of Loxwood, valued 
at £440 ; Patron, the Bishop of London ; Incumbent, Rev. M. W. 
Gregory, M.A., of Wadham College, Oxford. Date of earliest 

Parish Register, 1560. Acreage, 8,484. 

This Wealden parish lies upon a clayey soil, and a consi- 
derable portion of it is occupied by woodland and waste. It is 
divided into the several districts of Palingham, Drimgewick, 
Loxwood, Hasfold, &c. Palingham was ancientLj one of the 
titliings of Weat Easwrith, and it extends into Petworth and 
Kirdford. The manor was held of the Honour of Arundel, and 
was annexed to those of Sbillinglee and Hibemow, with the 



260 HISTORY OF SUSSEX, 

of Arundel, and in the reign of Henry VI. to Mary, wife of Sir 
Rowland Lenthal. Subsequent owners have been Apsley, Threele, 
Cowper, Osborne, and Peachey, of Lord Selsey's family. 

The benefice is a prebendal rectory, with the impropriate 
tithes and the advowson of the vicarage. The church (St. 
Peter and St. Paul) and the village stand upon a hill. The 
former consists of a nave with two aisles, and a tower with a lofty 
shingled spire. There are memorials for the names of Threele, 
Dalgress, Mille, King, Yates, Laker, &c., and three bells. 

[S. A. C. Ironworks, ii, 220. xviii, 15. Philip at Aldre, xi, 105. 
Church, xii, 91. Loxwood chapel, xii, 91. Cooks and Baldwins, xii, 92. 
Threeles, xiii, 89. King family, xvi, 50. Church bells, xvi, 207, 229. 
River Arun, xvi, 256. Drungewick, xvii, 248. Palling (Palingham), 
XX, 27. Enights-hospitailers had lands here, xx, 27.] 



WISTON. 

Domesday, Wistoneston; vulgo, Wissun; a parish in the Hundred of 
Steyning; Rape of Bramber ; distant IJ mile north-west from 
Steyning. Post-town, Hurst- Pie rpoint. Railway station, Steyning. 
Union, Thakeham. Population in 1811, 289; in 1861, 311. Bene- 
fice, a Rectory, valued at £430; Patron, Rev. John Goring, M. A. ; 
Incumbent, Rev. C. W. A. Napier, M.A., of Christchurch, Oxford. 
Date of earliest Parish Register, 1638. Acreage, 2,865. Chief 
Landowner^ the Rev. John Goring, of Wiston House. 

This parish, formerly called Wistoneston, is a very pic- 
turesque one. At the time of the Domesday Survey, William 
de Braose let it to Balph ; Azor had previously held it of Earl 
Godwin. It had 10 hides, and there were 10 villagers and 24 
bondmen. A church, 5 ministri, and a wood, producing pan- 
nage for 30 hogs, are also mentioned. It would seem that the 
manor underwent a considerable depreciation in consequence 
of the Conquest, as before that event it was valued at £12, but 
was afterwards reduced to £4. Soon after the Conquest the 
manor was in the possession of a family called De Wistoneston, 
whose ancestor Mr. Cartwright considers to have been the 
Ralph of Domesday. About the end of the reign of Henry III. 
Alicia, sole heiress of William de Wistoneston, married Adam 
de Bavent. His son was father of another Adam who was at the 
celebrated siege of Carlaverock. His son Roger was summoned 
to Parliament in 1313. The ultimate heiress married William 
de Braose. From the period of the extinction of that family 
the Shirleys, descendants of the very ancient family of Shirley, 
of Eatington in Warwickshire, held the estate for many gene- 
rations down to the time of Thomas Shirley, M.D., who was 



WISTON. 261 

bom in 1634. This family, which sent off branches to West 
Grinstead, Preston, Chiddingly, &c., was remarkable for his- 
torical characters, especially the ^'Three Brothers," Sir Anthony, 
Sir Robert, and Sir Thomas, whose exploits during the time of 
Elizabeth form an interesting episode in our local history, and 
indeed in our national annals. Their lives have been written 
in several forms, particularly in a monograph, by E. P. Shirley, 
Esq., M.A., M.P., etc., of Eatington ; in a small separate pub- 
lication ; in the " History of Western Sussex ;" and in my own 
" Sussex Worthies." The Sussex branch of the family changed 
the orthography of the name to Sherley. The " Brothers " were 
sons of Sir Thomas Shirley, Knight. It would be beyond the 
scope of this work to enter into the romance of their proceedings, 
except in a simple outline : — 

Thomas Sherley was born in 1564, and Anthony in 1565; Robert was 
some years younger. In 1584 Anthony went with his father into the 
Low Countries, and was at the battle of Zutphen in 1586. Next wo 
find him in Brittany, as one of Essex's Colonels against the Spaniards. 
His gallant service won for him the order of 8t. Michael from Henry IV. 
of France, but he thereby incurred the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth, 
and returned to England a poor man. He was in the expedition against 
the Portuguese, on the African coast, and assisted in the capture of 
Jamaica in 1596. Soon after this he accompanied his patron Essex to 
Ireland. He was again in the wars in Spain, returning to England in 
1597. The following year he was in the singular mission to Persia, his 
object being partly religious and partly commercial. He wished the King 
of Persia to join the Christian powers against their common enemy the 
Turks, as well as to promote trading relations between the East and West. 
Many were his perils on the way home. He was treated with great in- 
dignity by the Turks, and on the route fell into the hands of a horde of 
Arabs, who robbed him, but at the end of his journey the king received 
him as a dignified ambassador. He taught the king the English mode 
of casting artillery, so that ere long he had five hundred pieces of brass 
cannon in his army. For this service Shah Abbas created him a Mirza, 
or Prince. He returned to Europe in 1599, and visited the courts of 
Russia, Germany, Bohemia, and finally that of Rome, where he declared 
himself a Roman Catholic ; but from some cause or other he left the Ponti- 
fical Court in disgrace, and retired to Venice. In subsequent days he 
underwent many other perils and adventures, but with little success in any 
enterprise. He was the means of introducing through Count Gondomar, 
the Spanish ambassador, our English artillery into the Peninsular army, 
for which he again incurred the jealousy and displeasure of Government. 
He died in abject poverty, bordering sometimes on starvation. 

So much for the vicissitudes of this gallant knififht, who had been in all the 
wars of his time, and had been sent diplomatically to nearly every court in 
Europe. His brother, Sir Robert, at the early age of 18, was with Aathony 
in the wars in the Netherlands, and afterwards at Venice, in favour of Don 



262 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Cesare d'Este, against the Pope In 1598 he shared in the enterprises 
and hononrs of his brother in Persia, and remained there after his brother 
had returned to Enrope. Shirley went by way of Poland, and was enter- 
tained at Cracow by Sigismund III. He married Teresia, daughter of 
Ismael Khan, a Circassian lady. He received the honour of knighthood 
from the Emperor Rodolph, and was created a Count-palatine of the Em- 
pire. He next proceeded to Rome with a suite of eighteen persons, eight 
of whom were Persians. He wore Persian costume, distinguishing his 
turban with a crucifix. Pope Paul V. received him with great state. 
From Rome he proceeded to Spain, and at the Spanish Court was joined 
by his wife, the Princess Teresia. In 1611 he came with his eastern bride 
to Wiston. His father, Sir Thomas Shirley, had for some time been in 
disfavour at Court, and to meet his liabilities to the Crown had sold the 
ancient family properties of West Chiltington, Erringham, and other estates, 
reserving only Wiston, which he had settled on his wife. After a long series 
of further troubles he died in 1612, and was buried in the church of Wiston, 
where there is a black marble tablet surmounted by figures of himself and 
his wife. To return to Sir Robert Shirley, he had, with his Asiatic wife, 
a favourable reception at the court of King James. In 1613 he again set 
out for Persia, taking India in his route, and paying a visit to the great 
Mogul. Then, after many wanderings, we find him successively at Goa, 
at Lisbon, and at Madrid. In 1622 he again visited Rome, and there it 
was that Vandyke painted the fine portraits of Sir Robert and the Princess 
Teresia, now preserved in the Petworth collection. After many struggles 
he returned to Persia, and there died at the age of about 50. The Princess 
Teresia ended her strange, eventful history by becoming a nun. 

The life of Sir Thomas Shirley, the eldest of this remarkable triad, was 
less romantic than that of his two brothers. He received his military educa- 
tion under his father in the Netherlands. Subsequently he served in Ireland, 
where he was knighted in 1589. He next became a courtier, and contracted 
a clandestine marriage with Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Vavasour, 
and for this offence Queen Elizabeth put him into prison for 14: weeks. At 
a later period he purchased two ships as privateers against the Spaniards, 
and captured four vessels, besides making an attack upon several villages. 
In 1602 he set sail from Leghorn, and was taken captive by the Turks, who 
carried him in chains to Constantinople. After two years' captivity, he 
wandered about in Italy and Germany, and arrived in England in 1606 in a 
state of poverty. After many other misfortunes, including imprisonment in 
the Tower, overwhelmed with debt, and broken in spirit, he sold Wiston 
and retired to the Isle of Wight, where he died. 

Another distinguished member of this family was Dr. Thomas 
Sherley, physician to Charles IL, born in 1638. He was a 
medical writer of some repute. He underwent, like so many of 
his ancestors, great trials and misfortunes. With him ended 
the ancient and honourable line of Sherley of Wiston — " a 
family not needing hyperboles." To the family of Sherley suc- 
ceeded that of Fagg, Baronets, who held Wiston for several 
generations, and in 1743, Elizabeth, the ultimate heiress, carried 



wiSTON. 263 

it by marriage to Admiral Sir Charles Matthews Goring, grand- 
father of the Rev. John Goring, the present lord of Wiston. 

Wiston House, standing in its own deer park, was built, temp. 
Elizabeth, by Sir Thomas Sherley, and was a grand specimen of 
the style of that period, and though it has been considerably 
reduced in size it is still among the principal of Sussex mansions. 
The hall, with a very fine timber roof, is a cube of 40 feet, and 
the dining-room, of the date of 1576, retains much oak carving. 
Cartwright gives a series of inscriptions in this room, contain- 
ing a pedigree of the family of Brewse, or Braose, for many 
generations. 

The church (St. Michael) stands near the mansion, and con- 
sists of a nave, south aisle, and chancel. Some parts of the 
building are in the Decorated style, but there are traces of a 
much earlier date. At the east end of the aisle is a sepulchral 
chapel. Here is a fine brass to Sir SJolJn tje ISraoiete, 1426, " pow- 
dered with the words " Jesu," " mercy," with a Latin inscrip- 
tion, which may be thus rendered :— 

'* Be witness, Christ 1 this stone is placed, 
Not that my hody may be graced, 

But that my soul remembered be ; 
Then, passer-by, whatever thy time — 
Old age, or youth, or manhood's prime — 

Devoutly offer prayers for me. . . .'* 

Under an arch in this chapel is a stone efiSgy of a child, which 
is supposed -to be for the son of this Sir John, on whose prema- 
ture death the estate passed to the Sherleys. The next monu- 
ment in succession is that of Sir William Sherley, who is repre- 
sented in armour, standing on a rock, with a dove sculptured 
above, and figures of his two wives (1551). Against the wall 
are the effigies of a knight in armour and his lady in a kneeling 
posture. This monument is to Sir Thomas Sherley, who lived 
in wedlock 53 years and had 12 children, of whom nine lived to 
be married. There are memorials to the names of Beard, Lux- 
ford, Goring, Fagg, Morley, Shenton, Norcross, Hart, &c. 

[S. A. C. Roman buildings, ii, 313. Descent of manor (Lower)^ v, 1. 
Pedigree of Wiston, v, 3. Pedigree of Braose, v, 5. xv, 17. Sherley family, 
notices of, v, 7. xiv, 232. xvi, 253. xvii, 96. xviii, 130. xix, 63. Fagg 
family, V, 26. xx, 61. Goring family, v, 197. Wiston arms, vi, 80. Tithes 
to Sele Priory, x, 115. De Braose epitaph, x, 205. Church, xii. 111. A 
Bavent at Agincourt, xv, 136. Bennet, a Quaker, fined, xvi, 68. Church 
bell, xvi, 229. Broadbourne stream, xvi, 253. Elringtons of, xix, 64.] 



264 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

WITHTHAM (orWithiam). 

Vulgo, Widdy-hdm; a parish in the Hundred of Hartfield ; Bape of 
Pevensey ; distant eight miles south-east from East Grinstead and 
6^ south-west from Tunbridge Wells ; Post-town, Tunbridge Wells. 
It has a Railway station on the line between East Grinstead and 
Tunbridge Wells. Union, East Grinstead. Population in 1811, 
1,155 ; in 1861, 1,597. Benefice a Rectory, valued at £700 ; In- 
cumbent, Thomas Frederick Rudston Read, M.A., of University 
College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1663. Acreage, 
8,086. 

This extensive parish on the Forest ridge consists of arable, 
pasture, and woodland, and contains within its limits part of the 
Forest of Ashdown. It partakes of the undulating and pictur- 
esque character of the neighbourhood. The large wood, known 
as the Five Hundred Acres, south of the village, is remarkably 
pleasing. The village chiefly consists of scattered houses, and 
a small tributary of the Medway passes through, the parish. 
Withyham does not appear under any name approaching it in 
Domesday. A considerable portion of the parish, however, must 
have been included in the manor of Brochest, a corrupt spelling 
of the Anglo-Saxon bgc-hyrsty the beech wood, or perhaps a 
covert for bucks (now Buckhurst). In the twelfth century this 
manor was the estate of the great family of De Dene, by whose 
heiress, Ela, it passed to Jordain de Sackville (see Bayham), 
and thus it descended through an illustrious line of Sackvilles to 
the late Duke of Dorset, whose co-heiress, Elizabeth, conveyed 
it by marriage, in 1813, to the late George John West, Earl 
De la Warr, who assumed the name of Sackville before West by 
royal sign-manual in 1843, and in his lordship's son it now 
vests. Another manor is Monkencourt, of which, in 45th Ed- 
ward in., Gilbert Atte-Hall was lord. At a later period the 
Priory of Mortein in Normandy possessed it ; but having been 
deprived of it in the fifteenth century, during our wars with 
France, it was given to Sir John Pelham, who granted it for a 
term of years to the New Priory of Warbleton, which he had 
removed from Hastings, in consequence of the old establishment 
having been destroyed by the sea. The manor of Bullockstowne 
belonged to Bayham Abbey. Henry VIII., on the dissolution 
of that house, granted it to Wolsey, who gave it to his college 
at Oxford. In the reign of Elizabeth it passed to the noble 
family of Neville. The manor of Hendall likewise extends into 
the parish. Gilderedge, an ancient house and estate, gave name 
to a family of considerable antiquity, who subsequently had 
their chief residence at Eastbourne, and gave name to the manor 
of Eastbourne-Gildridge. Gilderegg was originally a vicarage, 



WITH YH AM. 265 

annexed to Buxted, and had a chapel, but for the convenience 
of the inhabitants so remote from the parish chnrch, Archbishop 
Peckham, in 1292, permitted it to be united with Withyham. 
No traces of this chapel exist. The family of Walwyn resided 
here, in gentle position, in the sixteenth century, as did also 
that of Baker (originally for many generations at Battle, and 
subsequently at May field), who were proprietors of GUderedge 
and of Ducking House in Withyham. 

The chief mansion and estate in the parish, however, was 
Buckhurst, where, temp. King John, Sir Geoffrey de Sackville 
was lord, holding it of the Honour of the Eagle (Pevensey). In 
21st Edward I. his descendant obtained a charter of free-warren. 
This great family, originally lords of Sauqueville, near Dieppe 
in Normandy, came to England at the Conquest, and the records 
of the race are so generally known as to require little mention 
here. It produced many eminent personages, the most note- 
worthy being Thomas Sackville, who was bom at Buckhurst in 
1 536. After a brilliant career as scholar, poet, and statesman, 
he was created by Queen Elizabeth, Baron of Buckhurst, ap- 
pointed Lord High Treasurer, and on the accession of James I. 
he was continued in office, and created Earl of Dorset. He died 
while sitting at the council-table at Whitehall in 1608, and the 
obsequies having been performed in Westminster Abbey, his 
body was brought to Withyham for interment among his an- 
cestors. For a memoir, see " Worthies of Sussex," p. 187. His 
son Robert, second Earl of Dorset, inherited much of his father's 
learning, but died shortly after his coming to the title, and was 
buried at Withyham, beneath a splendid monument. His best 
monument, however, is " Sackvil College for the Poor," at East 
Grinstead, founded by his wiU. (See East Grinstead.) Another 
descendant was Charles, the sixth Earl of Dorset, K.G., the well- 
known courtier and man of taste, in literature and art. He went 
to Holland as a volunteer at the commencement of the Dutch 
war, in 1665, and the night before his departure, composed the 
well-known song, "To all you Ladies now on Land." He died 
in 1706, and also found sepulture at Withyham. (See " Wor- 
thies," ut supra.) The present Lord Buckhurst (late the Hon. 
and Rev. Reginald SackviUe-West) in his " Parochial History 
of Withyham," has given an account of the descent of this 
very ancient line, and of their monuments in the church. Buck- 
hurst House, once a very lordly abode, measuring 260 feet by 200, 
with a capacious quadrangle, hall, and chapel, and partly sur- 
rounded by a moat, having been deserted for the still more 
majestic residence of Knole,near Sevenoaks, was permitted to fall 
to ruin, and part of its materials were employed for the erec- 
tion of Sackville College. The solitary survivor of so much 



266 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

magnificence is the gateway tower. The family, however, did 
not wholly neglect their ancient abode, but built in the park, 
on the site of a keeper's lodge, a competent mansion, which 
was finished by the first Duke of Dorset, and leased to his son. 
Lord Greorge Germain, afterwards Viscount Sackville. Still later 
various members of the family, and the late Earl and Countess 
De la Warr, have made it their occasional residence. It was for- 
merly called Stoneland, but now Buckhurst Park. The grounds 
are beautifully laid out. 

The church (St.Michael) was partially burnt down by lightning 
16th June, 1663. The lightning is stated to have entered " at 
the steeple, melted the bells, and proceeded to the chancel, where 
it tore tiie monuments of the Dorset family to pieces.'^ There 
is some exaggeration here, though the damage done to the fabric 
alone was estimated at £1,800. Among the memorials destroyed 
were a brass for ^J^umfrg Sfllfe^bpl^f Esq.,1488, and a monument re- 
presenting kneeling figures of Richard Sackevile, Esq., Isabel, his 
wife, with their four sons and six daughters — date 1524. The 
reparations of the church are said to have been completed about 
1680. The building, as it now stands, consists of chancel, nave, 
with south aisle, and pOrch, a large chapel on the north side of 
the chancel, and a massive embattled west tower, with six bells. 
In the chancel are three sedilia and a piscina. There are features 
of Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular. The north 
aisle was destroyed by the fire. The Buckhurst Chapel is Late 
Perpendicular. The principal existing monuments are — 1, an 
altar tomb with recumbent effigies of an infant, and standing 
figures of the father and mother. In relief on the sides of the 
monument are figures of other children. This is for Eichard, 
Earl of Dorset, 1677, and Frances, his Countess, and their 
family — 2. a monument by Nollekens, for John Frederick, Duke 
of Dorset, 1799 — 3. another, by Flaxman, for George John Fre- 
derick, last Duke of Dorset, kiUed by a fall from his horse, just 
after his majority, in 1815 — and 4. a monument, by Chantrey, 
for Arabella Diana, Duchess of Dorset, 1825. There are also 
memorials for Charles, Earl of Dorset, K.G., 1705, and for the 
names of Pennington, Gray, and Alfrey. The last two are iron 
slabs, 1582 and 1610. The Sackville vault contains numerous 
coffins inscribed with the names of members of this illustrious 
race, including that of the great Lord Treasurer. 

[S.A.C. Iron-works at, ii, 220. iii, 243. Gilderedge arms, vi, 80, Chapel, 
XX, 231. Monkencourt manor, xiii, 155. Ashdown Forest, xiv, 35. King Ed- 
ward II., xiv, 45. Church struck by lightning, xiv, 153. Buckhurst, Sack- 
ville family, xiv, 216. xvi, 271. xix, 162. Church bells, xvi, 229. Hammes 
of, their Oratory, xvii, 249. Bad roads, xix, 162. Comptons, xx, 137.] 



267 
EAST WITTERING. 

A parish in the Hundred of Manhood ; Rape of Chichester ; distant 7| 
miles south-west of Chichester, its Post-town and Railway station. 
Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 214; in 1801,223. 
Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £190 ; Patron, the Bishop of London ; 
Incumbent, Rev. John Cooke, M.A., of Corpus Christi College, 
Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1658. Acreage, 1,260. 

This small parish is of very irregular outline. Its southern 
boundary is Bracklesham Bay, which (owing to the flatness of 
the country near Wittering, and the nature of the soil) has eaten 
away a considerable portion of the parish. In fact, the greater 
part of what was East Wittering is now submerged in the Bay. 
In compensation of this damage there are fine sands for the 
pedestrian, and an admirable field of observation for the geolo- 
gist, as some fossils of great rarity are to be found here. Soon 
after the Conquest, a family, who were then owners, took their 
name from this village. In 11th Henry VIIL, Sir John Dawtrey 
was in possession, and his family were succeeded by that of 
Ernley. There are three prebendal manors either partly or 
wholly in this parish, viz. : Bracklesham, East Thomey, and 
Somerley. A farm of 100 acres, called Stubcroffc, formerly sup- 
ported a chantry in St. Michael's chapel at Chichester. There 
was also a chapel which was annexed to the vicarage in 1618, 
by Bishop Sherburne. 

The church (St. John) is a small building, with Norman fea- 
tures, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a belfry of wood, 
and one bell. 

[S. A. C. Roman road at Bracklesham, xi, 127. Ghurcli, xii, 81. Bell, 
xvi, 229. Bracklesham, Wm. de, xix, 26.] 



WEST WITTERING. 



Domesday, Westringea ; a parish in the Hundred of Manhood ; Rape of 
Chichester ; distant eight miles from Chichester, its Post-town and 
Railway station. Union, West Hampnett. Population in 1811, 483 ; 
in 1861, 616. Benefice, a Vicarage, valued at £180; Patron, the 
Bishop of Chichester ; Incumbent, Rev. Charles Gaunt, M. A. Date 
of earliest Parish Register, 1622. Acreage, 3,615. 

This parish, which is bounded on the west by Chichester 
harbour, consists chiefly of productive arable land. The village 
lies in the south-west part of the parish. The country is flat, 
but commands very picturesque marine views. Westringes is 
mentioned in Domesday as being in the obsolete hundred of the 
same name. It is said to belong to Earl Eoger (de Montgomeri)^ 



268 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

but it is stated in another part of the record that the Bishop held 
it. Probably there were two manors belonging to these respec- 
tive proprietors ; there is no doubt that West Wittering was an 
episcopal manor from the time of Edilwalch, King of Sussex, 
who granted it in 673 to the see of Seise j. Cakeham manor- 
house, the occasional residence of the Bishops from the 13th to 
the 16th century, was a spacious mansion with its hall, chapel, 
and other considerable apartments. It was a favourite abode of 
Bishop Sherburne, who erected a lofty hexagonal brick tower, 
early in the 16th century. The family of Atte Fenne or Fenner, 
of Crawley, held considerable lands in the parish during the 
Tudor period. 

Daniel Whitby, D.D., held the prebend of Wittering in 1660 ; 
he was a controversial writer against the Roman Catholics, and 
died in 1726. The prebendal estate was long held by the trustees 
of Oliver Whitby, Esq., founder of the free-school at Chichester. 

According to Pope Nicholas' taxation, 1290, the vicarage was 
valued at 20 marks, and in the Nonse-roll, 1341, at the same sum, 
though it is declared that so much arable land had been absorbed 
by the sea that the value was lessened 7 marks. Much grass 
had also been devoured by the rabbits of the Bishop — ^no new 
complaint ! The church (St. Peter and St. Paul) is thus described 
by Horsfield. " It exhibits portions of architecture of the 13th 
and 14th centuries. The tower stands detached from the nave, 
and on the north side. Three stalls of oak, with misereres orna- 
mented with rosettes, are preserved in the chancel, as also a 
monument of Caen stone, partly mural and partly projecting. 
The bas-reliefs represent the Resurrection, and the Annunciation 
of the Virgin Mary. It has no inscription upon it, but the arms 
of Emley appropriate it to WiUiam Ernley, Esq., who was resi- 
dent at Cakeham, 28th Henry VIII., and died in 1545. John 
Ryman, who is said to have built the great tower near the 
Cathedral, or contributed towards it by appropriating the stones 
intended for his castle at Appledram, had an estate in this parish." 
There are three bells. 

[8. A. C. Domesday watermill, v, 272. De Boys of, xi, 81. Cakehamston 
battery, xi, 150. St. Clere, xii, 26. xv, 122. Church, xii, 80. Saxon in- 
vasion, XV, 165. Holden of, xvi, 50. Bells, xvi, 229. Symmes of, xix, 95.] 



WHITESMITH. 



A hamlet near the junction of the three parishes of Chid- 
dingly, East Hothly, and Laughton. 



tQ9 
WIVELSFIELD. 

Vulgo, Willsful; a parish in the Hundred of Street, and Rape of 
Lewes ; distant four miles south-east from Cuckfield ; Post-town, 
Hurst- Pierpoint. Railway station, Haywards Heath, distant about 
^ miles. Union, Chailey. Population in 1811, 468 ; in 1861, 709. 
Benefice, a Perpetual Curacy, valued at £130; Patroness, Miss Jane 
Tanner; Incumbent, Rev. John Smith Foster, M.A., of Pembroke 
College, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1559. Acreage, 
3,103. Chief Landowners, the Tanner family. Seat, The Ferns 
(anciently Fanners), Lt.-Col. J. Holden-Rose. 

The ''field" or ''clearing" of Wivel (a Saxon personal 
name, still existing as a surname"^), is pleasantly situated near 
the Forest-ridge, in a picturesque district. The manor of Otehall 
gave name to the family of De Otehall, in the 14th century or 
earlier. At subsequent dates the owners were Kentish, Atteze, 
Michelbome, and Godman. The Godman heiress conveyed it by 
marriage to a junior branch of the Shirley family of Wiston, 
about the beginning of the 18th century. Of this family was 
Lieut. -General WiUiam Shirley, Governor of Massachusets Bay 
in 1741, and afterwards of the Bahama Islands. His son. Major- 
General Thomas Shirley, was created Baronet of Otehall in 1 786, 
but with his son. Sir William Warden Shirley, who died in 1815, 
the title became extinct. Late in the last century it was pur- 
chased by William Tanner, Esq., in whose descendants it still 
vests. A considerable part of tiie old mansion built in 1600 by 
Thomas Godman still remains. Li the windows there were 
formerly the arms of its successive possessors. During the 
Shirley proprietorship, Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, foun- 
dress of the well-known religious " Connexion," resided here 
for some time, and the Rev. William Eomaine, the celebrated 
divine, frequently preached in the house. 

Temp, John and Henry III., the Bardolfs had the manor of 
Wivelsfield, and temp^^Qnrj VI. it belonged to Thomas Beaufort, 
rranklands has successively passed in and since the Tudor period 
to Mascall, Bray, Pope, Luxford, Woodyer, Warden, Sergison, 
and Tanner. More House, which has the remains of a moat, 
gave name to the family of At-More or Moore. One of this 
family was at Agincourt, and another was Capt. Thomas More, 
an eminent loyalist during Cromwell's government. Prom the 
Mores the estate descended through the Middletons and Fullers 
to the Tanners. Fanners, an ancient house, has been modern- 
ized, and is now called ^' The Ferns." 

The picturesque little church of St. John the Baptist, was 
anciently a chapel of Ditchling. " From its peculiar position, 

* Wivelsi^Ti is also the name of a farm at no great distance. 



270 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

it has been sadly patched and neglected, but still retains inter- 
esting features. It comprises nave, with south aisle and chancel, 
south porch, and a square tower with shingled cap at the west 
end of the aisle. The chancel contains a piscina, which was used 
as a cupboard ! and what appears like a sepulchral arch in the 
north walL In the south chancel (or chantry) are a trefoil-headed 
piscina and aumbry. The walls of the building seem to be 
Norman and Transition Norman ; the north door early Norman, 
and the south door Perpendicular. At least the lower part of 
the tower is Decorated, with Perpendicular windows higher up. 
The church is so mutilated that its character is difficult to de- 
cipher ; the piers and arches between the nave and aisle, as also 
the chancel, exhibit some traces of the Early English style." 
Thus writes Mr. Hussey in 1852, but in 1869, 70, the building 
underwent judicious restoration and repair, the chancel was 
lengthened, and a new north aisle added; and now the building 
may claim to rank among the most picturesque of small churches 
in East Sussex. There are memorials to the names of Richbell, 
More, Middleton, Holey, &c. The bells are five in number, one 
of wluch is dedicated to St. Augustine. Popular tradition calls 
this William Rufas's bell ! 

In this parish stands the Hayward's Heath County Lunatic 
Asylum. The buildings are very extensive, and occupy a com- 
manding site. The interior arrangements are calculated to 
promote as far as possible the comfort of the unhappy inmates. 
There is a chapel, the incumbent of which is the Rev. Thomas 
Crallan, M. A. The resident master and physician of the estab- 
lishment is S. W. D. Williams, Esq., M.D. The asylum was 
erected in 1857-9, and subsequent additions have been made, 
the cost from first to last having been nearly £70,000, The 
number of patients is (alas !) upwards of 500. 

[S. A. C. Parish register, iv, 259. Church to Lewes Priory, xiii, 244. 
Ote-Hall {Turner) -K-m, 247. Families of Godman, Shirley, Tanner, ibid, 
Moore at Agincourt, X7, 136. Cleavewater watershed, xv, 160. Bells, xvi, 
230. Podstream, xvi, 251. Cade's insurrection, xviii, 29. De Otehall, xix, 
62. Chapelry to Ditchling, xix, 62. Moorhouse, xix, 69, Moores of, xx, 
46. Countess of Huntingdon, and Rev. W. Romaine, xix, 69,70. Spoons 
found at, xix, 70. Moores of, xx, 46.] 



WOODMANCOTE. 



Domesday, Odemancote ; a parish in the Hundred of Tipnoake ; Rape of 
Bramber ; distant about two miles south-east from Henfield station. 
Post-town, Hurst- Pierpoint. Union, Steyning. Population in 1811, 
247 ; in 1861, 331. Benefice, a Rectory, valued at £485. Patron, 
the Lord Chancellor ; Incumbent, Rev. Richard Cox Hales, M. A., 



WOOLAVINGTON. 271 

of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1582. 
Acreage, 2,236. Chief Landowners, J. L. W. Dennett, Esq., Sir 
Percy Burrell, Rev. John Goring, and Arthur Smith, Esq. 

Woodmancote is doubtless neither more nor less than the 
" Cote, or abode, of the Woodman," who before and long since 
the Conquest, would have ample scope for his axe in this well- 
wooded locality. In the time of Edward the Confessor, the 
Countess Goda held the manor, and Domesday describes it as 
afterwards held of William de Braose by William Pitzralph, 
Its subsequent history is very obscure. Early in the seven- 
teenth century it was possessed by the family of West, origi- 
nally from Berkshire. In 1691, Walter West, the representative, 
sold it to Thomas Dennett, Esq., of an ancient family in this 
parish, with whose descendant it still remains, Woodmancote 
place being the seat of J. L. W. Dennett, Esq. Mr. Cartwright 
considers the name of Dennett, or Dennatt, an inversion of the 
ancient At Dene, which existed at Woodmancote in 1341. De 
la Dene, a still older form of the name, is found there in 1298. 
The rectory house, with its attached glebe, is superior to most 
in the district. 

The church consists of nave and chancel, and has an east 
window of temp. Henry VI. (Cartwright.) ; also another window 
containing two shields of the fourteenth century : 1, Chequy, 
Arg. and Az. on a canton Gules, a cross moline Or ; 2, Azure, 
six mullets, 3, 2 and 1 , Or. The latter is the coat of Graundyn, 
a family connected in 1330 with Wickham, in Steyning. The 
font is Norman, and square. There are memorials for the names 
of Dennett, Blithman, and Shore. A church is mentioned here 
in Domesday. 

In 1556, Thomas Harland, carpenter, and John Oswald, hus- 
bandman, both of this village, were burnt at Lewes for Protes- 
tantism. 

[S. A. C. Amusing disputes between the Rector and Squire, 1679, iv, 
281. Sackville gift, xiv, 216. Bells, xvi, 230.] 



WOOLAVINGTON. 



Vulgo, Lavinton; a parish in the Hundred of Rotherbridge ; Rape of 
Arundel ; distant 4^ miles south-west from Petworth. Post-towns, 
Petworth and Midhurst. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 201 ; 
in 1861, 488. Benefice, a Rectory, united with Graffham, valued at 
£277 ; Patron, the Right Rev. S, Wilberforce, D.D., Bishop of Win- 
chester. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1668. Acreage, 2,530. 

Dallaway says the etymology is obvious, from the Anglo- 



272 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

Saxon WiTL-LAviiro-TON, a snperior pasture for sheep, with the 
adjonct of lavant a source of water ; sed dubito. The parish 
consists of several disjecta membra, which Dallaway distingnishes 
as Old Lavington, Dangstone, Midhnrst division, and Farnhurst 
division. It is cnrions how such a distribution of a parish could 
have occurred. Domesday informs us that Loventone was held 
of Earl Godwin, by another Godwin, and by Ivo of Earl Roger 
de Montgomeri. The aggregate was nine hides, the value being 
£8. There were 10 villeins, and 10 bordars. The manor was 
afterwards the possession of the great families of D'Albini and 
Eitz-Alan, and is now considered as part of the Honour of Pet- 
worth. There was a staurum of cattle and sheep belonging to 
the lord, with a park. At later dates, it belonged to the Lum- 
leys and Gartens, and passed in succession to the Ormes and 
Sargents. In 31st Elizabeth, the Gurtons built a large mansion 
with towers at the angles. The existing residence on a smaller 
scale, though still elegant and commodious, was completed in 
1794, by John Sargent, Esq. The arms of the successive pro- 
prietors are displayed on the front. It is delightfully situated, 
and has fine grounds, gardens, and a park, with most exten- 
sive and agreeable views. Mr. A. E. Ejiox in his work, 
" Game-birds,'* &c., speaks of the "dark hanging woods of 
Lavington,*' which clothe the steep South Down hills, and of 
the accompanying clumps of beech and juniper, and of the 
picturesque valley of the Bother, and the circumjacent ^^ heath- 
ery commons, evergreen woods, brown copses, and cultivated 
fields." 

The church (St. Peter), though of early date, is small and 
unimportant, and contains little of interest. In the western 
division of the parish a new church has recently been erected, 
and is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. In the churchyard 
is the grave of the late Richard Cobden, the eminent politician 
and statist. 

In connection with this parish must be mentioned the names 
of two possessors of the estate, the late John Sargent, Esq., 
author of the " Mine,'' and other poems, and Dr. Wilberforce, 
long Bishop of Oxford, and now of Winchester. 

[8. A. C. Domesday watermills, v, 272. Visit of King John, i, 136. 
Church, xii, 103. West La?ington church, xii, 103. Gartons of, xiv, 115. 
Foxhunt, XV, 81. Bell, xvi, 215, 230. Betsworth, xvii, 238. Bohun's lands 
in, XX, 14.] 



WOODMAN'S GREEN. 
A small village in the parish of Linch. 



273 
WOOLBEDING. 

Domesday, Welbedlinge ; a parish in the Hundred of Easebourne ; Rape of 
Chichester ; distant one mile north-west from Midhurst, its Post-town 
and Railway station. Union, Midhurst. Population in 1811, 238; in 
1861, 338. Benefice a Rectory, valued at £250; Patroness, Hon. Mrs. 
George Ponsonby; Incumbent, Rev. Francis Bourdillon,M. A., of Em- 
manuel College, Cambridge. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1581. 
Acreage, 2,253. Seat, Woolbeding House, Hon. Mrs. Ponsonby. 

Pleasantly seated on the Western Bother, which is here 
remarkably sinuous. In Domesday, Odo is said to hold the 
manor of the King. "A carucate of land in TJlebeding was 
held by Roger de Ulebeding, by the serjeanty of carrying the 
gonfanon or square banner before the King at Sparkeforde, in 
Hampshire." Woolbeding was long possessed by the Earls of 
ArundeL In 16, Edward I., John de Arundel of Woolbeding, 
held of the king in chief, by the similar service of carrying the 
ensign or " foot colours '* {vexillum pedituin) through Mid-Sussex 
should it happen for the king to pass that way in time of war. 
(Blount), Later it was held by tiie family of Mill, Barts. The 
ancient manor-house for some time the residence of Charlotte 
Smith, the poetess, was much enlarged and modernized in the 
last generation by Lord Robert Spencer. It now belongs to the 
Hon. George and Mrs. Ponsonby. 

The church, dedicated to AllhaUows, has been much altered 
and repaired at different periods. The tower and chancel were 
rebuilt in the last century. Sir Henry Mill, the eighth Baronet, 
when rector, placed in the chancel window some singular painted 
glass removed from Mottisfont Priory, in Hampshire. "Hie font 
is of great antiquity and bell-shaped. One of the three bells 
is inscribed to St. Margaret. There are memorials for Lord 
and Lady Robert Spencer, and for various members of the family 
a of Mill, &c. 

[S. A. C. Domesday water-mill, v, 272. Church, xii,81. Bells, xvi, 230. 
River Bother, xvi, 259.] 



WORTH. 

A parish in the Hundred of Buttinghill ; Rape of Lewes ; distant about 
seven miles south-west from East Grinstead. Post-town, Crawley. 
There are three Railway stations in the parish, namely, Three Bridges 
(near which is the village), Rowfant, and Grange Road. Union, East 
Grinstead. Population in 1811, 1,539 ; in 1861, 2,988. Benefice, a 
Rectory, valued at £608 ; Patron, G. Banks, Esq. ; Incumbent, Rev. 

VOL. II. T 



274 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

G. Wilson Banks, M. A., of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Date 
of earliest Parish Register, 1600. Acreage, 13,400. 

This large and interesting parish derives its name from 
the Anglo-Saxon, and signifies land, farm, street, hall, &c. 
(Bosworth.) It is a border parish adjoining Surrey on the 
north. The soil is generally poor and unproductive, yet abound- 
ing with birch and other woods, and is full of picturesque un- 
dulations. The ancient Forest of Worth, formerly one of the 
principal woodland districts of the county, extends into several 
adjacent parishes, and from a survey made in 1583, it contained 
upwards of 5,000 acres. TUgate Forest, so famous for its fossil 
remains, was formerly considered parcel of the Forest of Worth. 
The parish contains many private residences of importance, but 
the village is a straggling and inconsiderable place. There are 
several seats which have belonged to gentle families connected 
with the county. Crabbet Park was the abode of the Smiths, 
descended from the Smiths, of Shelford, co. Warwick; ajid 
afterwards of the Blunts. Gibsaven was long the estate of a 
branch of the Thorpes, of Newdigate in Surrey ; and Huntland 
was the property of the Edwards family from 1560, and they 
held it for more than 150 years. Rowfant, an old stone mansion, 
after having passed through several families, came into 
the hands of the Eev. George M. Bethune, LL.D., rector of 
Worth. Fenn Place, a house of considerable antiquity gave 
name to the family of Atte Fenne, or Fenner, and came to the 
Bysshes and SheUeys. 

The impulse given to the erection and enlargement of con- 
siderable houses in this part of the Weald by the opening of 
the London and Brighton Railway has conduced to make Worth, 
with its bracing air and picturesque scenery, a very favourite 
settling place for gentle families, who have either purchased or 
leased residences within the last few years. Among these may 
be mentioned — Rowfant, Sir Curtis M. Lampson, Bart.; Tilgate 
manor, John Nix, Esq.; Huntsland, J. Russell Reeves, Esq.; 
Crabbet Park, George Smith, Esq.; Worth Lodge, George 
Latham, Esq.; The Grange, George LiUey, Esq.; Worth Park, 
Joseph M. Montefiore, Esq.; Oakfield, Rev. William Henry 
Hoare; The Grove, Edwin Martin, Esq.; Copthome, William 
Fennings, Esq.; The Rectory, Rev. George Wilson Banks, &c. 
These are all situated in beautiful grounds, mostly with the 
adjuncts of excellent forest scenery, and pieces of water. There 
are also several hamlets, including Turner's HiU, Three Bridges, 
and Copthome. 

Worth is not mentioned in Domesday, and the history of its 
manor, or rather several manors, is difficult to narrate. For 
some time after the Conquest the greater portion of what is 



WORTH. 275 

now the parish was for the most part an unreclaimed forest, in- 
cluding the two districts afterwards known as Worth Forest 
and Tilgate Forest, which were here and there interspersed 
with glades and parks, and everywhere well suited for the 
purposes of the chase. It was in early times part of the great 
territory of the Earls of Warenne, and in 7th Edward I., John, 
Earl of Warenne, Lord of Lewes Eape, being questioned by the 
justices itinerant as to his claim for this and other lands, stated 
that he and his ancestors had alwas been faithful to the Kings 
of England ; that they had lost their French possessions for 
their adherence to King John against the King of France, and 
moreover as his name was Warenne he claimed the right of free- 
warren over his English manors, so that he may be said to have 
held them by pun-holA ! (See Bosham.) John, the last Earl, died 
possessed in 1347, and the chief lordship seems to have passed 
like the barony of Lewes to the noble families of Fitz- AJan and 
Bergavenny. The principal manor lost its name of Worth, and 
became known as Heighleigh. After several changes we find 
it associated with the names of Sherley, Caryll, Covert, Middle- 
ton, Fowle, Newnham, and others. 

Several families of distinction, besides those already men- 
tioned, have been associated with Worth. Some of the members 
of these families were iron-masters of considerable importance, 
especially the Gales, who sprang from a blacksmith at Seven- 
oaks, and carried on large iron- works in this part of the county. 
Literesting memoirs of the family have been edited by E. W. 
Blencowe, Esq., in the " Sussex Collections.'' In 1698, Leo- 
nard Gale, Esq., purchased Crabbet, which had been held by 
the Norman family of Playz, and afterwards by that of Moore, 
of Odiham, in Hampshire, and by them by a re-marriage of the 
widow of the last of their race to the Smiths, of Shelford. The 
three co-heiresses married Blunt, Clitherowe, and Humphrey. 
The Whitfelds, of Eowfant, originally from Alston-Moor, in 
Cumberland, and afterwards of Wadhurst and Worth, were 
great iron-masters in the sixteenth century. 

The church is one of the most remarkable in England, both 
for the peculiarity of its form and its great antiquity. It stands 
on elevated ground in a large church-yard, which is entered 
from the north-west by an ancient lich gate. The building is 
cruciform, and consists of nave, north and south transepts, and 
a chancel with a circular apse. Over the north transept is a 
wooden beU-chamber with a dwarf shingled spire, which rests on 
four large wooden uprights within, which present a singular 
appearance. Mr. W. S. Walford, who has given a critical 
account of the building in " Sussex Collections," admits its 
Saxon origin, and this is generally thought to be the case. The 

T 2 



276 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

edifice has been so much patched with insertions of different 
dates, and the addition of buttresses of extreme ugliness, that 
no brief description of it would be intelligible. The most re- 
markable portion of it is the chancel, which is approached by a 
semi-circular arch of extremely rude work. The font is curious 
and ancient, and really consists of two fonts placed one upon 
the other, both being probably of the 13th century. The arms. 
of De Warenne are found in one of the windows. There are 
monuments and inscriptions for the families of Gale, Smith, 
Bysshe (of Fenne Place) Shelley, Smith, Whitfeld, Goodwin, 
Bethune, Towers, and many others.* 

[S.A.C. Ironworks, ii, 220. iii, 242. xiii, 128, 129. xviii,]5,16. xix, 
86. The church, viii, 235 (^TTaZ/orc?;. Gales of Crabbet, xii, 52. xiii, 307. 
Families of Playz and Moore, xii, 52. xv,16. Michell, xiii, 130. Blunt, 
xiii, 311. Bells, xvi, 230. Tributary of the Medway, xvi, 270. Oaks for 
engines in the Tower, xvii, 116. Whitfeld, xviii, 16. xix, 86. Edwards of 
Huntland, &c., xix, 88.] 



WORTHING. 



A hamlet and chapelry of Broadwater, in the Hundred of 
Brightford and !Rape of Bramber, 11 miles west from Brighton, 
and 61 from London. A recent writer designates it ^^ a pleasant 
broad-streeted watering-place, ^discovered' some time before 
Brighton, but not destined to attain the dimensions of that marine 
London." Although a Domesday manor, and a recognized hamlet 
of Broadwater from early times, its condition was that of an 
inconsiderable fishing village, and so continued until the last 
century. The first " fashionable '* impulse was given to it by a 
visit, shortly before 1800, of the Princess Amelia. Since then 
it has been the temporary abode of the Princess Charlotte, Queen 
Caroline, and Queen Adelaide. Its situation on the English 
Channel, with its pleasant long range of sands, extending four 
miles to the east and nine to the west, and forming what is called 
Worthing Point, with the known salubrity of its climate, have 
rendered the town a favourite resort. The site is, for the most 
part, flat and monotonous ; but as at is sheltered on the north by 
a delightful strip of South Downs, and is within the reach of 
much good scenery and many objects of interest, few places on 
the South Coast are more attiuctive than Worthing, especially 
for those who seek a quiet sea-side resort. Prom the new iron 

• SiDC3 this article was written, great alterations have been made in the building ; 
whether they are improvements I am unable to say. 



WORTHING. 277 

pier there is a commanding sea view, extending from the Isle of 
Wight to Beachy Head. The town is furnished with every 
appliance for the lounger and the invalid, but for these matters 
the local " guides " must be consulted. The town is fast increas- 
ing in size, and a recent extension of it is called West Worthing. 
The manor is described in Domesday under the name of 
Ordinges. Seven allodial tenants had held it under Earl Godwin 
as 11 hides, but, after the Conquest, Robert held it of William 
de Braose, lord of Bramber. There were six villeins, nine bond- 
men, and a serf. In the time of the Confessor and afterwards 
it was rated at 100s. Another manor called Wordinges was held 
in Saxon times by Leiven and afterwards by Robert. Although 
it was assessed at only half a hide and valued at 12s., it had a 
villein and five bondmen. Ralph held half a hide worth 6s. 
In later times the manor of Worthing was granted to the Priory 
of Easebourne, and at the Dissolution passed among the posses- 
sions of that house to Henry Pitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton, 
who, in 34th Henry VIII., bequeathed it with his other estates 
to his half-brother, . Sir Anthony Browne, and it passed, like 
Cowdray, to the Viscounts Montague and their heritrix Elizabeth, 
wife of William S. Poyntz, Esq. In 1219 William Bemeus 
granted to Dyonisia his mother, for her life, a hide of land at 
Wyrddingg, at the rent of a horse-load of salt, which shows the 
existence of salt-pans here. The sea encroached much on the 
coast, and the hamlet now contains little more than 300 acres. 
The principal proprietors of it were successively Wade, Booker, 
Luther, the Earl of Warwick, Commerell, Ogle, Barrington 
(Bishop of Durham), and Colberg. A chapel existed at Worth- 
ing from early times, but of its site nothing is remembered. In 
1409 the Bishop of Chichester granted permission for masses, 
&c., to be performed in this chapel, saving the rights of the 
mother church of Broadwater. The existing episcopalian places 
of worship are the chapel of ease, built in 1812, (value £150), 
and held by the Rev. William Read, M.A., of St. John^s College, 
Cambridge ; Christ Church, built in 1843, with a benefice, worth 
£300, is held by the Rev. P. Cruse, B.A., of St. Edmond Hall, 
Oxford ; and a new church has been quite recently erected at 
the east end of the town. The patronage of these is vested in 
the Rector of Broadwater. A new Roman-Catholic church and 
a nunnery have been founded here ; and there are chapels for 
several dissenting denominations. Roman urns, pottery, and 
coins of Dioclesian and Const antine have been discovered within 
the present century. 

[S. A. C. Roman coins, i, 26. Smugglers, x, 93. Tortington Priory 
lands, xi, 110. Churches, xii, 105. Bells, xvi, 232. Shirley's lands in, 
xix, 68.] 



278 HISTORY OF SUSSEX. 

TAPTOX (anciently Yabeton). 

A parish in the Hundred of Avisford ; Eape of Arundel ; distant five 
miles south-west from Arundel, its Post-town. Union, West Hamp- 
nett. Population in 1811, 512 ; in 1861, 589. Benefice, a vicarage 
united with Walberton. Date of earliest Parish Register, 1548. 
Acreage, 1,690. 

This is a level and almost entirely arable parish, yielding 
excellent cereal crops. Its manorial history is of no interest. 
It belonged to the Honour of Arundel, until it was sold in 1571 
by Henry Pitz-Alan, to John Edmundes, Esq., whose descendant. 
Charity in the fifth generation conveyed it in marriage to Law- 
rence Elliott, of Busbridge in Surrey, and died in 1716, S.P. In 
1759 it passed by purchase to George Thomas, Esq., afterwards 
created a Baronet. His daughter Margery married Arthur 
Ereeman, Esq , whose son Inigo Freeman-Thomas, afterwards of 
!Batton in WilUngdon, inherited. The old mansion house of the 
family of Edmundes was partly rebuilt and added to in 1800. 
Balsham, the BUesham of Domesday, in the southern part of 
the parish, was originally a hamlet and chapelry : the chapel 
now forms a double cottage for labourers, and has an ancient 
door and three buttresses. The manor, with that of Tapton 
and the advowson of the church, was given by Richard, Earl of 
Arundel, to the foundation of Arundel College. The priories of 
Shulbrede and Tortington also had good lands here. 

The church has a nave and aisles, "of the style prevalent in 
the reign of Henry m.,- with a low tower at the west end. The 
chancel has been rebuilt.^' (Dallaway.) The font is ancient and 
curious. Of the four bells one is ancient with the inscription 
" Ave Maria." The mortuary inscriptions refer to the families 
of Barnard, Roe, Thomas, Sydserfe, White, Page, &c. — ^Yapton 
probably signifies the tun or settlement of Eappa, a recognized 
Saxon personal name. 

[S. A. C. Tortington Priory,^ xi, 110. xiii, 46. Edmondes family, xii, 
92. Forster family, xii, 102, 104. Church, xii, 103. xviii, 102. Bilsham 
chapel, xii, 104. Thomas, Sir George, xiv, 122. Bonville, lands, xv, 59. 
Nash family, xvi, 50. Bells, xvi, 230. Bronze celts and metal found, 
xyiii, 195. Kempe had lands in, xix, 119.] 



APPENDIX. 



LIST OF THE PAPEBS IN THE FIRST TWENTY 
VOLS. OP THE « SUSSEX ARCH^OLOGICAL 

COLLECTIONS." 



Archsdology of Sussex. Blamm, 1, 1. 

Alfriston, " Find " of Anglo-Saxon Coins. Ade, I, 38, 

Alfriston, urns found at. Ade, II, 270. 

Arundel, College Chapel. Tlemey. Ill, 77. 

Arundel, Sir Bevis and his horse. lY, 31. 

Arundel, discovery of remains of John 17th Earl of Arundel. Tierney, XII, 

232. 
Apsley MSS. Blaatm. lY, 219. 
Alfriston, the Star Inn. Lower. 17, 309. 
Alfriston, monumental inscriptions. Richardson, XYII, 240. 
Antiquities, miscellaneous. Lower, Y, 198. 
Arms of Sussex feunilies. W, 8, Ellis, YI, 71. 
Anderida (Pevensey). Hussey, YI, 90. 
Arundel tax.payers. Blaamv, YII, 159. 
Aldrington Hermitage. Xll, 117. 
Ashdown Forest. Turner, XIY, 36. 
Agincourt, Sussex men at. W, D, Cooper, XY, 123. 
Amberley. ClarksoT^ XYII, 186. 
Appledram. Arnold, XYIII, 74. 
Anglo-Saxon coins at Chancton, Lucas, XX, 212. 

B. 

Balcombe, Tenures. XII, 140. 

Bramber and Braose. QraMha/m, Y, 147. 

Brighton fishermen's customs. T'u/mer, II, 38. 

Bramber, ancient bridge. Twmer, II, 63. 

Bronze relics in Sussex. Dixon. II, 260. 

Bishopston Church. Mgg, II, 272. Monumental inscriptions. Simmons, 

XIX, 186. 
Brasses of Sussex. Lower, II, 307. 
Bellencombre Castle, Normandy. Lower, III, 29. 



11. ' APPENDIX. 

Burrell, Timothy, his journal. Bleneome. 111,117. 

Battle Abbey Boll. Hunter. VI, 1. 

Browne, Sir Ant. Turner, VI, 64. 

Borough-English, custom of. VI, 164, 178. 

Boord or Board family, and Andrew Boorde. Lower, VI, 204. 

Borde, Andrew. W, D. Cooper. XIII, 262. 

Berwick parochial records. O. M. Cooper, VI, 223, 

Berwick monumental inscriptions. Mlman, XII, 254. 

Bolney churchwardens* accounts. Dale. VI, 244. Ancient church door. 

X, 69. 
Braose, of Chesworth, and Hoo. W. D. Cooper. VIII, 97. 
Bosham College. Turner. VIII, 189. 
Buncton, Saxon grant. Blaatm, VIII, 177. 
Boxgrove Priory. Blcumw. IX, 61. Turner. XV, 83. 
Brambletye. W. D. Cooper. IX, 139. 
Bayham Abbey. G. M. Cooper, IX, 146. XI, 121. 
Buxted Church. Hoare. IX, 208. 
Bodiam and its lords. Loner. IX, 276. Sir E. Dalyngruge. Lower. XII, 

221. 
Burpham, ancient canoe. X, 147. 

Blatchington East, monumental inscriptions. Dennit. XTIT, 202. 
Bonvilles, of Halnaker. W. D. Cooper. XV, 67. 
Barons of Cinque Ports, their services. Most. XV, 178. 
Battle Abbey. Turner. XVII, 1. 
Bosham traditions and stone coffin of a daughter of Canute. MUchelU 

XVIII, 1. 
Brightling, witchcraft story. Lower, XVIII, 111, 

C. 

Charlton Hunt. Bennett. XV, 74. 

Churches, notes on, 1863. Bloxcm. XVI, 233. 

Church bells of Sussex. Tyssen. XVI, 138. 

Cinque Ports, seals of. Lower. I, 16, Bos8. XVII, 64. 

Cinque Ports against subsidies. Boss, XVII, 137. 

Coins, British and Roman, in Sussex. Dixon. I, 26. 

Chichester Cathedral. Freeman, I, 142. 

Celtic antiquities, near Chichester. EfarcovH. I, 149. 

Chichester, Bishop de la Wyoh, his will, 1253. Blaamo, I, 164. 

Chichester, reception of Duke of Monmouth. VII, 168. 

Chichester Cross. Britton. I, 193. 

Chichester, Hospital of St. Mary. Shiffner, II, 1. 

Chichester, R. de Nevile, Bishop of. Blaauw, III, 36. 

Chichester, St. Olave's. FreeTnan, V, 213. 

Chichester, a temple by. Wellesley. V, 277. Freema/n, VII, 66. 

Chichester, merchant guild. Tu/mer. XV, 166. 

Chichester, Roman Inscription. HilU. VII, 61. 

Chalyington Church. Dicker, II, 286. 

Cowfold, churchwardens' accounts, &c. Otter. II, 316. 

Com in Sussex. Blaamw, III, 26. 

Charles I., his clock. Mitford, III, 103. 



APPENDIX. IIU 

Civil war in Sussex. Blaauw, IV, 29. 

Cowdray. Scott, V, 176. Ant. Visct. Montague. Soctt, VII, 173. 

Cowdray House, old papers. Scott, XV, 67. 

Clergy of Sussex, subsidy, 1380. Bhujmw. V, 229. 

Crowhurst manor house, &c. Neibitt and Walfo^d, VII, 44. 

" Cultellum," grant by. Comer, VII, 213. ^ 

Curteis, Bishop of Chichester. Sir H, Mlit, X, 53. 

Chiddingly. Lower, XIV, 207. Inscriptions. Noaltes. XIV, 253. 

Cade's insurrection. W, D, Cooper. XVIII, 17. Lower. XVIII, 37. 

Charles II., flight of. Eoenhed. XVIII, 114. 

Castles of Sussex. W, D, Cooper and Lower, XVIII, 141. 

Cowden parochial account book. Turner, XX, 91. 

Cowdray Buck-hall and death-place of Viscount Montague. Scott, XX, 203. 

D. 

Dacre, Lord, his trial and execution. Lower, XIX, 180. 

Danny and Charlton-house MSS. Blencowe, X, 1. 

De-la- Warr, badge of. Lower, III, 230. 

Denton Church. Lower, IX, 96. 

Dedications of churches and chapels in West Sussex. Oihhon, XJI, 61. 

Ditchling. Hutchinson. XIII, 240. 

Dureford Abbey. Blaauw, VIII, 41. 

E. 

Effigy of a Knight at Lewes. Itgg, I, 43. 

Edward, Prince of Wales, letters written in Sussex, 1305. Blaatm, II, 80. 

Eastbourne; Roman remains. Lower, II, 257. 

Echingham Church. Slat&r, EX, 343. 

Encaustic tiles. Figg, III, 239. 

Elizabeth, Queen, visits to Sussex. W, D, Cooper, V, 190. 

Easeboume, Effigy of Sir David Owen. Blaauw, VII, 22-41. 

Easeboume Nunnery. Blaauw. IX, 1. 

Edward VL, progress in Sussex. Nichols, X, 195. 

Eastbourne. Chambers, XIV, 119. 

East Grinstead. Stmning, XX, 132. 

Eu, Earls of. W, S EllU, X, 63. 

P. 

Framfield. Hoare. IV, 291. 

Frewen and Everenden families* account books. W. D, Cooper^ IV, 22. 

Fletching. Wilds and Spurrell, IV, 231, 237. 

Friston, antiquities at Crowlink. Figg, V, 207. 

Fortification of towns and houses. Blaanw, XIII, 104. 

Funtington, Roman remains. Smith, X, 1 68. 

Flint implements near Hastings. Smart and Lower. XIX, 53. 

G. 

■ 

Gale family. Blencowe, XII, 45. 

Gale, the Mayfleld schoolniaster. Blencowe, IX, 182. 



IV. APPENDIX, 

Qrimm'8 Sussex drawings. WelUiley, m, 232. 
Grayetye. Blaatm, X, 151. 
Oreatham Hoase. Twmer, XYII, 108. 
Glynde. De 8t, Cfraia. XX, 47 

H, 

Halnaker and Bozgroye, IX, 223. 

Horsted Keynes, Bev. Giles Moore*s Joamal. Blenoowe, 1, 65. 

Horsted Keynes, cross-legged effigy. Wdlfard, 1, 128. 

Hastings, rape, castle, &c. W, D. Cooper, II, 161. 

Hastings, Battle of. Lower, YI, 15. 

Hastings, rape, Franchises in. W, D, Cooper, VI, 67. 

Hastings, Lake and Lennarde. Rou, XII, 159. 

Hastings in 1746. Bon, XII, 196. 

Hurst- Monoeuz, and its lords. Venahlei, IV, 125. 

Hurst-Monoeuz, wills. Lower, IV, 203. 

Humphrey, Cornelius, of Newhaven. Spvrrell, VI, 190. • 

Hove, amber cup. Phillipe, IX, 119. 

Hurst-Pierpoint and its Lords. W, 8. EUU, XI, 50. 

Hurst-Pierpoint, Boman remains. Blencowe, XFV, 176. 

Hastings College and Priory. Thimer. XTIT, 132. 

Hastings, municipal rights. Cooper and Bon, XIV, 65. 

Hastings, parish registers. Qre&nMU, XIV, 191. 

Hastings, old harvest custom and speech. Book, XIV, 186. 

Hamsey. Chapman, XVII, 70. 

Hardham, Boman remains. DawUnt, XVI, 53. 

Hardham Priory. ExOs, XVIII, 54. 

Harold, King. ArnoU, XIX, 71. 

Horsham, a man pressed to death. Lower, XIX, 121. 

Horsham, medieval pottery. Honywood, XX, 194. 

L 

Icklesham, monumental inscriptions. Btdler, XIV, 2^9. 

Ironworks of Sussex. Lower, II, 169. Ill, 240. XVIII, 10. 

Isfield, and family of Shurley. Turner, XVIII, 124. 

Iter Susseziense of Dr. Burton. Blaaufv, VIII, 250. 

Inns and Inn-signs. Lower, X, 181. 

Incumbencies, presentations to. Walcott. XVII, 104. 

J. 

Justices of Sussex in 1587. W, B. Cooper, n, 58. 
Jeake, Samuel, of Rye. SmaH and W, B, Cooper, IX, 45. 
Jeake, S., sen., of Bye. 8ma/rt, XIII, 57. 

Kidder of Maresfield, and Bishop Kidder. Twnner, IX, 125. 
Knepp Castle. Burrell, III, 1. V, 143. 
Knighthood, compositions for. Sir H, Mli$, XVI, 45. 
Keymer, encaustic tiles. Turner, XVI, 126* 



APPENDIX. V. 



L. 



Laughton Place. Blaauw, YII, 64. 

Lewinna (St.) of Seaford. Blaatm, I, 46. 

Lewes Priory, early history. BUwim, II, 7. HI, 185. 

Landing of William the Conqueror. Lower, n, 53. 

Lindfield Church, mural painting. MUs Slater, II, 129. 

Lindfield, parochial documents. Loner, XTX, 36. 

Lewes rape, subsidy roll, 1296. Blaatm, n, 288. 

Lewes Priory, relics. Spurrell, VI, 253. 

Lewes Priory, lantern. Mgff. VII, 151. 

Lewes rape, subsidy rolL W, 8, Ullis, IX, 71. 

Lewes Levels Conmiission. Sir H, Mlis, X, 95. 

Lewknor, pedigree. W, Z>. Cooper, III, 89, 

Lewes (" Old Lewes"), ^ffff- XTTT, 1. 

Lewes Castle museum.. Lower and Chapman, XVm, 60. 

Ly minster, dragon-slayer. JEvershed, XVIII, 180. 

M. 

Mayfield Palace. Hoare, II, 221. 

Midhurst free chapel. Sir H, EllU. HI. 23. 

Michelham Priory. Q, M. Cooper, VI, 129. 

Monasteries of Boxgrove, Shulbred, Bayham, Dureford, and Lewes, their 

suppression. Blaauw, VII, 217. 
Miller, family of Burghill and Winkinghurst. Loner, IX, 38, 
Maresfield and Dudeney chapels. Turner, IX, 41. 
Maresfield. Twmer. XIV, J 38. 
Midhurst. W, D, Cooper, XX, 1. 
Midhurst, St. Ann's Hill. Twmer, XX 175. 

N. 

Newhaven Church. Lower, IX, 89. 
Newhaven, Boman remains. Spurrell, V, 262. 
Nonas return of Sussex, 1340. Blaawv, I, 58. 
Newton family. Noyes, IX, 312. 
Ninfield. Sharpe, XVII, 57. 
Newhaven, kitchen-midden. Loner, XVIII,. 165. 
Northeye and Hydneye, lost towns. Tamer, XIX, 1. 
Nineveh (old house at Arundel). Tu/m>er, XX, 184. 

O. 

Oliver CromwelPs pocket Bible. Lower, II, 78. 
Otteham Abbey. O, M, Cooper, V, 155. 
Oxenbridge family. W, D, Cooper, XTT, 203. 
Old Speech and Manners in Sussex. Lower, XIII, 209. 
Otehall. Twner, XIX, 61. 

P. 

Paxhill, &o. Blenoowe, XI, 1. 

Parish Registers, extracts. Blenoowe, IV, 243. 



VI. APPENDIX. 

Pottery-knight found at Lewes. I^g. I, 43. 

Portelade mural paintings. Hoper, I, 161. 

Pelham and Shirley marriage. Lower. II, 99. 

Pelham Buckle. Lower, III, 211. 

Petworth. Dr, Turner. XIV, 1. 

Pevensey Custumal. Larking. IV, 209. 

Pevensey Castle excavations. Lower, VI, 265. 

Pulborough, British settlement. Martin. TX, 109. 

Pynham, Tortington, Hardham and Lyminster priories. Turner, XI, 89. 

Proofs of age. W. D. Cooper. XII, 23. XV, 211. 

Poynings. Marriage settlement of Isabella Poynings. W, D. Cooper. XIV. 

182. 
Poynings. Holland. XV, 1. Inscriptions, XV, 231. 
Petworth, Great George Inn. B, Turner* XIX, 134. 
Produce and supplies from Sussex. W. D. Cooper. XVII, 116. 
Pevensey, Statutes of Marshes and Custumal. Turner. XVIII, 42. 
Percy (Hotspur), Lady Percy of Shakspeare. Arnold. XX, 120. 
Plumpton, mural paintings. Campion. XX, 198. 

Q. 
Quakers. Figg. XVI, 65. 

R. 

Rebels of Sussex, after Baron's War. Blamm. VI, 215. 

RoyalJourneys in Sussex. Blaav/m. 11,132. 

Rottingdean, ancient copper relic. Hmsey. V, 106. Church. IX, 67. 

Rusper Priory. Way. V, 244. IX, 303, 

Religious houses and recusants. XII, 199. 

Refugees, Protestant, in Sussex. Cooper. XIII, 180. 

Rye, vicars and their patrons, inscriptions, &c. Butler. XIII, 270. 

Rye, appearance of spirits. Butler. XIV, 25, 

Roads in Sussex. Dodson. XV, 138. Turner. XIX, 153. 

Rivers of Sussex. Lower. XV, 148. 

Rye, notes on. Butler. XVII, 123. 

Rye, passage book. W. D. Cooper. XVIII, 170. 

Royalist compositions. W. D. Cooper. XIX, 91. 

Rye, aliens in. W. D. Cooper. XIX, 149. 

S. 

Seaford, discovery of human remains. W. W. Twmer. XX, 180. 

Saxon rule in Sussex. Smyth. IV, 67. 

Sussex gentry in 1688. Lower. I, 82. 

Storrington, British um. Dixon. 1, 65. 

Stapley, Rd., of Hickstead, his diary. Turner. II, 102. XVIII, 161. 

Shepherds of South Downs. Blencowe. II, 247. 

South Down earthworks. Turner. Ill, 173. 

Bouthease manorial customs. Mgg. Ill, 249. 

Stedham Church, mural paintings, &c. Harcov/rt and Butler, IV, 1-19. 



APPENDIX. Vll. 

Streat Place. Blaatm. IV, 93. 

Steyning. Medland. V, 111. VIII, 132. 

South Mailing. Turner. V, 127. 

Saxon names retained in Sussex. W. D, Cooper. VI T, 1. 

Seaford, memorials of. Lower. VII, 73. 

Seaford, monumental inscriptions. Simmons. XII, 242. 

Additional memorials. Lower and W, D. Cooper. XVII, 141. 
Seaford, medieval pottery. Figg. X, 193. 
Seaford, Hospital of Lepers at. Lower. XII, 112. 
Scrase family, memoir of. Lower. VIII, 1. . 
Sedgwick castle. Tv/mer. VIII, 31. 
Subsidies in Sussex. Noyes. IX, 102. X, 129. 
Sussex, Ofi&oers of the Crown. Wellesley. IX, 107. 
Sedlescombe (Saddlescombe) Knights-Templars. Blaauw. IX, 227. 
Shipley, Knights-Templars. Blaauw. IX, 227. 
Smuggling in Sussex. W. D. Cooper. X, 69. 
Sele Priory. Turner. X, 100. 
Shoreham, Friars. Turner. X, 100. 
Steyning, Canons. Turner. X, 100. 
Slaugham. Blaauw. X, 151. 

Sedgwick, Sheffield and Worth, 1549. Sir H. EllU. XIII, 118. 
Seymour, Lord, inventory of goods at Chesworth, 
Slaugham Church, mural paintings. Campion. XIIT, 237. 
Sussex, social condition in 17th century. W. D. Cooper. XVI, 20. 
Slindon Church. Jaclison. XIX, 126. 
Springett, Sir Wm. and his family. Lower. XX, 34. 
Slane-street Causeway. Martin. XI, 127. 
Sussex, defence of, temp. Eliz. Blaauw. XI, 147. 
Sussex Tradesmen's Tokens. Figg. XF, 171 

T. 

Taylor the water- poet. XVIII, 137. 

Tenantry customs. Figg. IV, 304. 

Ticehurst Church, Brass of Wybarne. Qaunt. VIII, 17. 

Tho. Turner's Diary BUncowe and Lower. XI, 179. 

Tradesmen's tokens. Figg. XVIII, 163. 

Topographia Sussexiana. BvtUr. XV, 216. XVI, 272. XVII, 169. XVIII, 87. 

U. 

Uckfield Twrner. Xn,l. 

W. 

Watermills and windmills. Lower. V, 267. 

Willingdon, leaden coffer. Lower. 1, 160. 

Wiston, descent of. Lower. V, 1. 

Wiston, Roman remains. Figg. II, 313. 

West Dean parsonage house, &c. G. M. Cooper. Ill, 13. 

Wills at Lewes and Chichester. Lower. Ill, 108. 



Viii. APPENDIX. 



Wilmington Priory and Cbnrch. O. M. Cooper. IV, 37. 

Warenne, Earls of. Blaauw, VI, 107. 

Winohdaea. W, D. Chopor. VIII, 201. 

Worth Churoh. Wafford, Vm, 236. 

Wakehnrgt Blaauw. X, 151. 

Wilson pedigree . Xn, 240. 

Will of a Sussex clergjrman. Lower. XIII, 49. 

Waldron. Ley. XIII, 80. 

Westmeston Chnrch, mural paintings. Otmpion. XVT, 1. 

Woodman's door at Warbleton. Luard. XVII, 164. 

Whitfeld family. Lower. XIX, 83. 



%• Under the head of " Notes and Queries" from Vol. VII. to Vol XX. are 
several minor articles which could not be included in this Index. 



LIST OF SUBSCRIBEES. 



A. 



Adams, G. E., Esq., College of Arms, 

London 
Ade, Geo., Esq., 23, Upper Westboume 

Terrace, Hyde Park 
Alberj, Edwin, Esq., Midhnrst, Sassex 
Aldridge, Major J. 8t. Leonard's, Horsham 
Anchor, Miss, Wickham, near Cfhichester 
Arnold, Bev. E. H., L.L.B., Ashling, Chi- 
chester 
Ashby, Mr. George, Eastdean. Eastbourne 
Ashby, Mr WilUam P., Willards, East- 
dean, near Eastboame 
Ajlwin, Mr. Jas., Offham, Lewes 

B. 

Bacon, G. P., Esq., Lewes 
Baker, J. B. Esq., Bnxted, Sassex 
Banks, Eev. G. W., Worth Kectory, 

Crawley 
Barchard, F., Esq., Little Horsted 
Barttelot, Brian B., Esq., Bramblehnrst, 

East Grinstead 
Barttelot, George, Esq., Stopham House, 

Petworth, 2 copies 
Barttelot, Colonel W. B., Stopham House, 

Pulborough 
Beard, Thomas Edwd., Esq., High Street, 

Lewes 
Beattie, A., Esq., Summerhill, Chislehurst, 

Kent 
Beck, W. C^ Esq., Ore, Hastings 
Benge, J., Esq., JEloyal Masonic Institute, 

Wood Green, W. 
Bennett, T. J., Esq., Chichester 
Berry, Brothers, Wine Merchants, Lewes 
Biddulph, A. W., Esq., Burton Park, Pet- 
worth 
Blaauw, W. H., Esq., Beechland, Uck- 

field 
Blagden, J. JL, Esq., Petworth 
Blencowe, B. W., Esq., The Hook, Chailey, 

Lewes 
Bloxam, Bev. J. B., D.D., Beeding Priory, 

Hurst- Pierpoint 
Blyth, H., Esq., Seaford 
Boileau, Sir F. G. M., Bart., Ketteringham 

Park, Wymondham, Norfolk 
Borrer, Linfield, Esq., Henfield, Sussex 



Borrer, Eev. C. H., Hurst-Pierpoint Beo- 
tory 

Bowles, Bev. F. A., Singleton, Chichester 

Boxall, W. P., Esq., Belte Vue Hall, Park- 
nowle, Cowfola 

Boys, J., Esq., 59, Grand Parade, Brighton 

Bramwell, Mrs., 8, Cambridge B>oad, 
Brighton 

Brown, Alex., Esq., Cottesmore Hall, Oak- 
ham 

Brown, Bev. Felix, Stopham Bectory, Pul- 
borough 

Brown, Bichard, Esq., Allington, near 
Lewes 

Brown, The Eev. H., M.A., Pevensey, 
Eastbourne 

Browning, Arthur H.. Esq., Lewes 

Bruce, J* Collingwood, LL.D., Newcastle- 
on-Tyne, Northumlxirland 

Burgess, Mr. A., New Inn, Seaford 

Burke, Sir Bernard, Ulster King of Arms 
Castle, Dublin 

Barrows, J. C, Esq., 62, Old Steyne, 
Brighton 

Burton, A., Esq., St. Leonards-on-Sea 

Butler, G. S., Esq., F.S.A., Eye, Sassex 

0. 

Campkin, H., Esq., F.S.A., Eeform Club, 

London 
Carnegie, The Hon. J. J., Fair Oak, 

Petersfield 
Carpenter, Hen., Esq., 36a, Moorgate 

Street, City 
Cavendish, Lord Edward, Devonshire 

House; Piccadilly 
Catt, A., Esq., School Hill, Lewes 
Cattell, Miss Helen, 42, Buckingham 

Eoad, Brighton 
Caton. K. E., Esq., F.S.A., Union Club, 

Trafalgar Square 
Chadwick, H. S., Esq., Brighton 
Cheesman, Mr. James, Wadhurst, Sussex 
Chichester, The Very Eev. the Dean of, 

Deanery, Chichester 
Clayton, J. Esq., F.S A., Newcastle-on- 
line 
Colchester, Lord, Kidbrooke 
Combe, B. H., Esq., F.S.A., Oaklands, 

Westfield, Sussex 



X. 



LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 



Coppard, Thos., Esq., Lanehnnt Lodge, 

Alboame 
Cooper, Mn.. 44, SoBtex Sonare, Brighton 
Cooper, C. A., Esq., 44, Sussex Square, 

Brighton 
Cooi>er, J., Esq., F.S.A., Lewes 
Cooper, W. D., Esq, 81, Guilford Street, 

London 
Cooper, Miss, 44, Sussex Square, Brighton 
Cosens, F. W., Esq., Water Lane, London 
Cosens, B., Esq., Bamham, Arundel 
Conrthope, Geo. C, Esq., Whiligh, Hurst 

Green 
Cripps, B. M., Esq., Westmeston, Hurst- 

PLerpoint 
Croix, Key. W. de St., M.A., Glynde, Lewes 
Currey, E. C, Esq., Lewes 
Cox, Mr. Alderman, 15, London Road, 

Brighton 
Crofts, Mrs., Mailing House, Lewes 
Croeskey, R., Esq., Lewes 
Cubitt, Geo., Esq., 17, Princess Gate, W. 
Curteis, Major E. B., Leasam, Rye 
Curteis. H. M., Esq., Windmill Hill, 

Hailsham 



D. 



Daintrey, A., Esq., Petworth 

Daniell, Rev. Geo. Fred., Aldingbourne 

Vicarage 
Daniell, Rev. G. • W., Aldingbourne 

Vicarage . 

Day, W. A, Esq., 16, St. Swithin's Lane, 

London 
Davies, Colonel F. J., Danehurst, XJok- 

field 
Dearden, Captain, Nymans, near Craw- 
Derby, C. H., Esq., B.A., 53, Thistle 

Grove, West Brompton 
Devonshire, Duke of, K.G., Devonsldre 

House, Piocadillv (2 copies) 
Diamond, Dr. H. W., Twickenham House, 

Middlesex 
Dilke, WilUam, Esq., Chichester 
Dodson, J. G., Esq., M.P., Coneyboro*, 

Lewes 
Drakford, Rev. D. J., Brookside, Craw- 
ley 
Dunn, J. B., Esq., Stone House, Warble- 
ton, Sussex 
Duke, Sir James, Bart., Laughton Lodge 

E. 

Edwards, T. Dyer, Esq., 5, Hyde Park 

Gate, Kensington 
Ellis, W. 8., Esq., Hydecroft, Crawley 
EUman, Rev. E. B., Berwick Rectory 
Elsted, W. P., Esq., 13, Snargate Street, 

Dover 
Elwood, Mrs. Colonel, Clayton Priory 
Evans, Thos., Esq., Ly minster, near 

Arundel 
Evans, R., Esq., Dean's Place, Alfriston 
Eyton, J. W. K., Esq., F.S.A., 46, Ports- 
down Road, Maida HiU, London 



F. 

Fames, William, Esq., Lewes 
Featherstonehaugh, Lady, Uppark 
Ferguson, R., Esq., Morton, Carlisle 
Ferrey, B., Esq., F.S.A., 2, Inverness 

Terrace, Kensington 
Fisher, R., Esq., Hill Top, Midhurst 
Fisk, Rev. H. J., Hastings 
Fletcher, J. C., Esq., Dale Park, Arundel 
Flint, Frederick, Esq., 41, High Street, 

Lewes 
Flower, J. W., Escr, Park Hill, Croydon 
Foley, Rev. J., B.D., Vicar of Wadhurst, 

Sussex 
Foster, Rev. J. S., Vicarage, Wivelsfield 
Foster, Rev. R., Burpham, Arundel 
Fowler, J. A., Esq., 1, Westminster 

Chambers, London, S.W. 
Franklyn, W. N., Esq., Wamham Lodge, 

Horsham 
Freund, Mrs., 20, Goldsmith Road, 

Brighton 

Q. 

Gage, Lord Viscount, Firle 

Gatty, C. H., Esq., Felbridge Park, near 
East Grin stead 

Gilbert, the Hon. Mrs., Eastbourne 

Godman, Joseph, Esq., Sladeland, Pet- 
worth 

Goodwin, W. H., Esq., Solicitor, Hast- 
ings 

Godlee, B., Esq., Leighside, Lewes 

Goldsmith, Mr H., East street, Lewes 

Gorring, Mrs., Seaford, Lewes 

Gorringe, P., Esq., Pebsham, Bexhill 

Gosden, J., Esq., Eastbourne 

Grantham, William, Esq., Sussex Place, 
South Norwood, Surre 
riffiths, r 
Brighton 



Griffiths, Rev. J., LL.D., The College, 



.D., 



Guy, Miss, Hamsey Place, Lewes 

Guy, Miss, 20, Goldsmid Road, Brighton 

H. 

Hales, Rev. R. Cox, M.A., Rectory, Wood- 
ma ncote, Hurst-Pierpoint 

Halliwell, Rev. J., Walpole Villa, 
Brighton 

Hancock, H. J. B., Esq., Duke's HiU, 
Bagshot 

Harcourt Colonel, Buxted Park 

Barland, J. C, Esq., 4, Lansdown Place, 
Lewes 

Harland, H., Esq., M.D., Mayfield 

Harris, J., Esq., LesneyPark, Belvedere, 
Kent 

Harris, W., Esq., 4, Bedford Row, Worth- 
ing 

Harrison, George, Esq., Brighton 

Harwood, H., Esq., Amberley 

Harwood, Major, The Elms, Ringmer (2) 

Haviland, G. E., Esq., Warbleton, Hurst- 
Green 

Hawkius, E., Esq., London 



LIST OF SUBSCBIBERS. 



XI. 



Haydon, Rev. W., Midhnrst 

Hazlitt, William, Esq., Begietrar, Conrt 

of BankraptcT, Lonaon 
Hepbnrn, Col.H. P., 18, CharleB street, 

Berkeley Square 
Hill, Charles, Esq., Eockhurst, West 

Hothly, East Grinstead 
Hillman, J., Esq., Stoneham, Lewes 
Hillman, B., Esq., Lewes 
Hogg, E., Esq., 99, St. George's Eoad, 

KmUco, S.W. 
Holland, Kev. T. A., Foynings Bectory, 

Hurst-Pierpoint 
Hollingdale, W., Esq., North Mundham, 

Chidbester 
Holmes, E. C., Esq., Brookfields, Amndel 
Honywood, Thomas, Esq^ Horsham, 

Sussex 
Hope, A. J. Beresford, Esq., M.P., 1, 

Gonnanght Terrace, London 
Horton, George, Esq., 23, Oxford Terrace, 

Edgware Itoad, London 
Howell, James, Esq., Brighton 
Hnbbard, W. E., Esq., Leonardslee, 

Horsham 
Hnckstepp, Mr. Joseph, Sheldwick, near 

Faversham 
Hnfi^hes, Edward, Esq., 81, Earl street, 

Maidstone 
Hnsey-Hnnt, B., Esq., Lewes 
Hnssey, Edward, Esq., Scotney Castle, 

l4amberhnrst 

L 

Ingram, James, Esq., Ades, Chailey 

J. 

Jackson, Miss, 11, Pavilion Parade, 
Brighton 

Jeffines, Mrs., 13, Undercliff, St. Leo- 
nards-on-Sea 

Jenkyn, Bev. D. W., Bye 

Johnson, E. W., Esq., The Pallant, Chi- 
chester {2 copies) 

Jones, Charles G., Gravelye, Lindfield 

Jones, H., Esq.,' Lewes 

K. 

Kinn;, Captain, B.N., Chithnrst House, 

Petersfield 
Kirkland, W., Esq., 16, Hyde Gardens, 

Eastbourne 



L. 



Lane, H. C, Esq., Middleion, Hurst- 
Pierpoint 

Laurie, P. N., Esq., Paxhill Park, lind- 
field 

Laurie, E., Esq., Clarenceux King of 
Arms, College of Arms 

Leconfield, Lord, Coates, Petworth 

Lee, Bev. F. G., D.C.L., F.S.A., 6, Lam- 
beth Terrace, S-E. 

Lemon, Mark, Esq., Crawley 



Lewis, Captain, The High Beech, Hol- 
nngton, Hastings 

Lewis, John, Esq., Lewes 

Lennox, Lord U. G., 13, Albert Terrace, 
Knightsbridge 

La Trobe, C. J., Esq., Clapham House, 
Lewes 

Lewes Library Society 

Lintott, W., Esq., Hill, Slinfold 

Lucas, J. C, Esq., F.8A., Lewes 

Lucas, Francis, Esq., Hitcbin 

Luxford, Bev. G. C., Higham House, 
Hurstgreen 

Lower, W. de W, H., Esq., Angers, France 

Lower, Nynian H., Esq , Henbury, near 
Bristol 

Lower, E. H., Esq., 7, Westminster Cham- 
bers, Victoria Street, London 

Lower, W. Anthony, Seaford, Lewes 

Lower, Miss, Henbury 

M. 

Mackinlay, D., Esq., Pollokshields, Glas- 
gow (2 copies) 
Madgwick, Wm., Esq., Alciston Court 
Major, Mr. George, Seaford 
Maiden, H. C, Esq., Windlesham House, 

Brighton 
Manby, Lt. -Col., The Greys, Eastbourne 
Marris, Miss, 51, Sydney Street, Brompton 
Martin, E., Esq., The Grove, Worth, 

Crawley 
Mann, T., Esq., jun., Tysmanns House, 

Horsham 
Mauleverer, Miss, The Hall, Armagh, 

Ireland 
Mayer, J., Esq., F.S.A., Liverpool 
Medland, Rev. Thos., Steyning Vicarage 
Meek, Geo., Esq., Brantridge, Balcombe 
Milner, Rev. J., Beech Hurst, Hay wards 

Heath 
Mitchell, Rev. Henry, F. S A., Bosham 
Mitchell, W. W., Esq., Arundel 
Molesworth, George, Esq., North Street, 

Chichester 
Mond, Mr. M., Lewes 
Montefiore, J. M., Esq., Worth Park, 

Crawley 
Morris, Mr. A., Post OflBce, Lewes 
Mortimer, J., Esq., Pippingford Park, 

Uckfield 
Munn, Rev. J. R., Ashburnham Vicarage, 

Battle 



N. 



Napper, H. F., Esq., Laker's Lodge, Wis- 

borough Green, IIorBham 
Nevill, The Lady Dorothy, Dangstein, 

Petersfield 
Newington, A. T., Esq., The Highlands, 

Ticehurst 
Nicbols, J. G., Esq., F.S.A., Holmwood 

Park, Dorking 
Norman, G., Esq., Cooksbridge Brewery, 

Lewes 
Norman, H., Esq., Cooksbridge 



Xll. 



LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 



0. 



Olliver, Thomas S., Esq., GoortluidB, 

near Worthing 
Orme, Rey. J. B., Angmering Beotory, 

Arondel 
Otter, The Venerable Archdeacon, Gow- 

fola, Sussex 
Ouvry, F., Esq., F.S.A., 12, Qoeen Anne 

Street, Londo 



ion 



P. 



Pa^e, Mr. Thos., Bookseller, Brighton 

Paine, Cornelias, Esq., F.S.A., Oak Hill, 
Surbiton, Surrey 

Paine, Lieat.-CoL, Patcham Place, Brigh- 
ton 

Paine, W. D., Esq., 22, Mincing Lane, 
London 

Paris, George de, Esq., 13, Denmark Ter- 
race, Brighton 

Parsons, J. L«, Esq., Lewea 

Peat, Biev. J., M.A., Vicarage^ East Grin- 
stead 



Peckoverj^W., Esq., Wisbeach 

f4 cop 
Penley, Montague, Esq., 3, Montpelier 



— -- — , -.., 

Pelham, Lord 



, Esa., ^ 
, M.P., 



Stanmer (^ copies) 



Crescent, Brighton 
Peskett, W., Esq., M.D., Ditckling 
Phillips, J. Pavin, Esq., F.S.A., 16, High 

Street, Haverfordwest 
Phillips, J., Esq., Hastings 
Powell, C, Esq., Speldhurst, Tunbridge 

Wells 
Powell, Rev. R , South Stoke Rectory, 

Arundel 
Pratt, D., Esq., Cuckfield, Sussex 
Prime, A., Esq., Warbleton, Arundel 
PuUinger, Mr., Keere Street, Lewes 
Purseglove, Mrs., Seaford 
Putron, Rev. P.de, Rodmill Rectory 

R. 

Rees, Mrs., Trowbridge,Wiltsbire {^copies) 
Rcnshaw, Thomas (J., Esq., Sandrocks, 

Hay wards Heath 
Reynard, E. H., Esq., Sunderland wick, 

Driffield 
Rhodes, A., Esq., North Hall, Plnmpton 
Robertson, P. F., Esq., M.P., Halton, 

Hastings 
Rogers, Rev. Henry, Stone House, Pet- 
worth 
Rock, James, Esq., Demons, Northiam 
Eolland, Monsieur P., Angers, France 
Roswell, Mr. E. H. W., Market Street, 

Lewes 
Russell, Rev. J. C, Albion Street, Lewes 

S. 

Sadler, E. A., E«q., Bepton, Midhurst 
Sandford, Mr. William T., Storrington 
Sanders, Ja3., Esq., Hailsham 
Saxby, Mr. T, Firle, near Lewes 
Sclater, J. H., Esq.,Newick Park, Uckfield 



Scott, M. D., Esci.jHove Brighton 

Selmes, J. Esq. ,jan., Northiam 

Shaw, Captain W. E., 16th Lanoen, 

Windsor Castle 
Sheffield, Lord, Sheffield Park 
Shiffner, Rev. Sir George, Bart., Coombe, 

Lewes 
Shirley, B. P., Esq., Eatington Park, 

Stratford-on - Avon 
Simmons, H., Esq., The Croucli, Sea- 
ford 
Skinner, R. V., Esq., Winchelsea, Sussex 
Smith, George, Esq., Paddockhnrrt, 

Crawley 
Smith. J. A.., Esq., M.P., 37, Chester 

square. London (^Z copies) 
Smith, Rev. H., M.A., F.S.A., Firle 

Vicarage 
Smith, J. M., Esq., Lewes 
Smith, Mr. W. J., North Street, Brighton 

(6 copies) 
Somerville, Capt. P., R.N., Gipsy Hill, 

Upper Norwood 
Sperhng, Rev. J. H., Westbonme Rectory, 

Chichester 
Stenning, J. C, Esq, Halsford, East 

Grins tead 

T. 

Thacker, Mr. W., Poynings, Hurst-Pier- 

point 
Thomas, Rev. S. W., Southease Rectory, 

Lewes 
Tompsett, James, Esq., Deans, Pidding- 

hoe 
Tompsett, Mr. J., Seaford 
Tompkins, Rev. R. F., Arundel 
Trevor, Rev. G. A., 48, Queen's Gardens, 

Lancaster Gate, London 
Turner, Captain W. W., Chyngton, Sussex 
Daniel-Tyssen, J. R., Esq., Brighton 
Daniel-Tyssen, Amherst, Esq., Hare 

Buildings, Lincoln's-Inn 

U. 

Upton, H., Esq., Meadow Lodge, Pet- 
worth 

V. 

Verrall, J. F., Esq., The Mulberries, 
Denmark Hill, London 

W. 

Wace, Rev. R.H., Wadhurst, Hurst Green 
Waldegrave, Countess of, Hastings 
Warren, R. A., Esq., Preston Place, 

Arundel 
Ward, S. N., Esq., Havelock Lodge, Brigh- 
ton 
Warter, Rev. J. W., B.D., West Tarring 

Vicarage, Worthing 
Watts, Jas., Esq., Battle 
Waterman, W., Esq , Piddinghoe 
Weeden, W. D., Esq., Hall Court, Bype 



LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. 



Xlll. 



Weekes, Geo., Esq., Carey Hall, Hurit- 

Pierpoint 
Weir, J., Esq., F.L.S., 6, Haddo Villas, 

Blackheath 
Webster, F., Esq., Battle 
West, F,G., Esq,, Horliam Hall, Thaxted, 

Essex 
Whitfeld, Thos^ Esq., Hamsey House 
Whiting, Mr. W., Hirfi Street, Uckfield 
Wetherell, Oapt. R., Tanbridge Wells 
Winchester, Tne Rt. Rev. the Bishop of, 

Woolavington 
Winkley, W., Esq., F.S.A., Harrow-on 

the-HiU 
Wisden, Captain, Broadwater 



Woodhams, T. K., Esq., Seaford 

Wood, S. N., Esq., ELavelock Lodge, 

Brighton 
Woods. Rev. G. H., Shopwyke House, 

Chiooester 
Worcester, The Bishop of, Hartlebury, 

Kidderminster 
Worge, J. A., Esq., Ore, Hastings 
Wyatt, H., Esq , LL,D., Cissbury, Worth- 
ing 

Y. 

Yoting, W. B., Esq., Wellington Square, 
Hastings 



TTtis List will be kept open for a short time for the convenience of persons 
desirous to subscribe at the original price^ Twenty five Shillings, 



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